Transformations, Ascensions, and Sweet Retribution
by TrentenCunningham
Summary: The Sergal, a sentient specie of mammal with morals and ideals completely different from our own. In this tale we follow the Lord of the Reono; Kaine Tepest, as he unites the clans of the southern continent against the clans of the North, better know as the Shigu. With technology not seen since the forgotten age he leaves a trail of blood where he treads. Will he have his revenge?
1. Prologue

16

Transformations, Ascensions, and Sweet Retribution.

Prologue

It's black. Everything around me is black… or a deep shade of crimson. Is this death? Is this what it is like? Where are the spirits to guide me to peace…? Where are the idols I was forced to worship in my youth as a cub? Why am I so numb, all over is a tingling sensation like nothing I have ever known. It's so… not painful, but numbing? Yes, numbing will suffice. I put my hand over the wound, it felt so cold and… cauterized. How did that happen?

I… I don't remember. I can't see... it hurts to breathe and… I'm scared. Why did this happen to me? I just wanted to help my family but… My good deeds are met with punishment from the ones from the cold north. Led by the monster with golden eyes. The monster was a she; I know that by her voice. But she stood so tall; she was as fierce as the legends described.

Rain Silves. That is her name. A titan of the northern continent of Vilous. She is of the snow; a cold wasteland as harsh as its masters. There bigger than my kind… but not as fast. I feel my hearts beat harder. One is about to give, the other is pumping blood through me… I can feel the cauterised wound moistening… It's opening up. I start hyperventilating, but that opens the wound more. I can feel the deep rich vital fluid flow from me… It scares me more and I breathe harder. My blood begins to seep out faster. I can feel it shading my body.

I start screaming in frustration and fear. I don't know what else to do. I fall to my knees and try to close the wound with my hands. I am so dizzy. I curl into a ball… and prey to, someone, anyone, and anything that can save me from this cruel fate.

My prayers fall on deaf ears and false idols.

I laid there as my blood began to pool around me. It was so cold. How am I still alive? And how much blood could I afford to lose?

No… While my mind had given over to despairing, my subconscious and my body were fighting a war with existence itself. I have been so scared of dying; instead, I should have been trying to survive… How would I survive this? I couldn't. I've seen what happens to people that lose this much blood they… they…

No. Not me. I refuse to die here. I didn't survive all this time in exile to just roll over and die from a wound. I just needed something to concentrate on. I couldn't see, but I didn't need my sight to survive. I had my other senses still. I coughed, and spat a bit of phlegm. And I heard a loud echo. I was in a cave.

What a place to die. Sergals didn't die in caves; by my cultures rules it was taboo to enter these places because it is said the spirits of our ancestors resided here in peace. Never to be disturbed by the living. How could I have known though? I haven't been able to see since…

Why can't I remember anything? Was it really that bad that my mind had forced it down where I couldn't find it? Probably, but if I could remember I could find a purpose to keep on fighting…

"_Idiot…" I was held off of the ground by my neck, Rain was staring into my eyes, she was angry. But so was I. Those who I called family lay all around her and the featherless one. Dead. "What were you thinking? Trying to attack me? Do you know who I am?" She said._

_ "There are few who don't." I replied. I was concentrating more on how I was going to get out of this. "You're the General of the North. The one with golden eyes-"Her grip tightened, she snarled. Good I had hit a soft spot. "They tormented you, didn't they? Your peers I mean. They called you freak and outcast, didn't they Rain?" I smiled and scoffed. "Ironic that you are their leader now; but we both know that once you are dead they will remove from your precious songs and laurels. Because in the end no one wants to remember a freak… like YOU!" I said and started laughing. _

_ "That's IT!" She said with uncontrolled rage. She slammed me into the ground and grabbed me by my tail. Dragging me across the hot sand, nearby was a cave covered in stalactites. "It has been too long since I impaled someone…" she said. I leaped to my feet and tackled the massive Sergal around the waist. She tried to kick me off but I was too fast. I had fought and killed enough of the Shigu to develop a few techniques. I had to be faster than her, use my wiry muscles to strike her before she struck me. I threw both of my fists into her stomach to knock the air out of her. I began throwing punches into her head; mainly at the snout and eyes._

_ She growled and threw a punch into my nose. I pulled back dazed and she swiped her claws into my eyes. I scream in pain and started to flail. I found purchase; it was her. I searched for her neck and put my hands around it; intent on strangling Silves. I put all of my pain into it. The more I felt the harder I choked her. She clawed and punched me but the more she struggled the more my grip tightened. _

_ The stock of a tool hit the back of my head, followed by a kick. The featherless one had chosen to intervene. I let go, by the ancestors he was strong. I flailed around swearing and cursing them both. I smelled him and tried to lash out at him._

_ I heard a very loud cracking/popping sound and an incredible pain where my primary heart was. I was stopped in my tracks. My body slammed into the hot desert sand. I lay there, motionless. I heard the featherless one walk over to Silves. I hear her exhale as she rises to her feet. "My thanks; Lucien. I owe you now" She said. _

_ "You have done more for me than most others would have ever done. The way I see it; I still have a dept to pay." Lucien replied. I coughed and heard Lucien growl. Rain walked over to me and flipped me on my back with her foot. She pinned me and pressed down on my chest hard enough to break my chest-bones. I screeched. "What do you want to do with him?" Lucien asked. My vision was mostly gone but I could make out the sight of him holding the weapon to her._

_ "There are worse things in life than death. One is a slow, painful, sightless existence. That is what lies in store for him." She kneeled down and gently picked up my head. And whispered into my ear; "I hope his gun did not deafen you, Reono clan. I could kill you but… that would be too easy. No, I want you to suffer in your own home. I want you to slowly bleed out and die as your body succumbs to the heat of this world. But… I am not so cold as to not at least put your fate in your own hands…" Rain said. She pulled a small ceremonial knife from a sheath in her boot. She placed it beside me. "If the pain and despair become too much for you to handle, you can slit you own throat. I hear it's the best way to go if you want to commit suicide." She laughed and rose. I lay there and put my hands on my face. My vision was gone. I felt for the blade and felt that it had a ribbon around the hilt. I tied it in a knot around my thigh._

_ "Smart. Now get up before I reconsider and kill you." She kicked my side and I felt my broken ribcage stab into my tissue. I began to crawl away. Defeated and humiliated._

Rain… Rain… RAIN. **RAIN! **This is her fault. I am where I am because of her! And her oversized pet Lucien. I want to kill them both! I want to watch as their bones are picked clean by scavengers! She should have killed me when she had the chance! I will survive this. Purely to get my revenge on her.

But I am never going to get there if I continue to lie in a pool of dead blood. I took control of my breathing, slowing the flow of blood. I took the ribbon from the dagger Rain had gifted to me and wrapped it around myself. It was enough to hold the wound, but that was all.

"(10110101010101010101010010001011010101001010101010010101010101010110010101010101)" What was that? I thought I heard something. But it was not like anything I have ever heard before. I think it was deeper in the cave…

"(10101010101010101010101010101010101011010101010101010111010001001010101010101010)" There it was again. Like a burst of buzzing insects or the sound of the most prized weapons. I felt around for purchase. My hand found what felt like some kind of bone. I got up, using the long bone as a crutch. I felt light headed and dizzy. I had lost too much blood. But my hate for Rain Silves would fuel me until I chose to let go of it; death has no control over me, I am in charge of myself now. I started to walk in the direction of the sound, deeper into the cold, light less cave.

I wondered aimlessly for what felt like hours. I tried to continue in the direction of the sounds, but it was a long and ungraceful process. I tripped and fumbled many times. This opened my chest wound. Most others would have died at this point. But the closer I came to death the harder I thought about Rain. I can still hear her laughter clearly in my head. It gives me the hate I need to continue on.

The buzzing sound is becoming more frequent. I swear that I can hear the sound of creatures around me. I thought I heard something fly by. I pause for a second and sniff the air. There is definitely something in this cavern that should not be here. The smell of ferrum and pelubum, rare and coveted metals. By sheer instinct I called out.

"H-hello? Is anyone there?" Something swooped by again and it shrilled in the buzzing. "Wait! Come back!" I do not think it stopped. I purposefully coughed and the feedback from sounds told me the cave went farther ahead in the direction I was facing. I was adapting quickly to my new sightless existence.

The rocky ground was replaced by a smooth, metallic floor. Like the steal forged by the black-smiths. The temperature became warmer as well. I coughed again and realized that I had hit a dead end. I reached forward and felt a metallic wall. I took the hand holding my wound closed and felt around it. I felt an indent like my hand. Purely out of curiosity I put my hand in the indent and something made a _snapping_ sound. My hand was trapped in the indent. I felt a small prick in my skin. I struggled for a moment before I realized that if this thing was going to kill me; it would have done it by now. The thing that I assume was some kind of advanced machine let go and I heard the wall collapse.

I coughed. This time there was no reply. Curious, I walked where the wall used to be. I could tell I was in a massive room. The buzzing tone had become louder and varied in volume and tone. Some of it was so loud it shook the room and some others were almost a whisper. I could hear the sound of something clanking, like gears in a machine. I started to walk forward and I felt a subtle and warm presence enveloped me. I was off the ground. I panicked for a moment, without a ground to feel the room around me I was defenseless. But as soon as I was off the ground, I was gently placed on my back.

"! #%&*()_$ ?" something said. The voice was unusual, like it came from a thing of metal and not flesh."&*^%$^# %." It continued. I think it is trying to communicate with me.

"I'm sorry but I don't know what you are saying. Are you even speaking a clan-based language?" I asked it. It was long time before it spoke again.

"^%$#^& continue &^%$^ saying." It replied. If I was not so close to death I would be very interested.

"You wish for me to continue to speak? Wait a minute are you… Are you learning my language right now?" I asked it. I put my hand out, trying to see if I could touch it. I heard it move back dodging my hand. I heard a humming sound and felt a tingling sensation all around me.

"Specie is male, genetic profile limited, but mutations are present in subject that can prove beneficial for future generations. Culture and social status is unknown. What does your race call itself?" It asked me.

"Wha-… Sergal. We are called Sergals." I replied.

"Status indicates organic body has taken severe injury; cause is fight with other Sergals. Subject seems to be coping with pain…"

"Who are you talking to? There is no one here except you and me." The machine stopped it's droning.

"You cannot see, can you? My apologies allow me to explain, you are currently in a laboratory. On display for the overseers. You wandered into our domain, and we took notice of you. It is our-"

I cut him off. "On display!? What am I, a trophy to you?" I yelled back. "No no no… I am not spending the rest of my life as lab experiment for your sick tests!" I yelled.

"You misconstrued our actions. How far has your society grown technologically in the last century, Sergal?" I pondered the question for a moment. I had not considered it. We had been so busy fighting the clan of the north that our entire culture was based around it. "I will tell you; none. We have been active for less than twenty years and all we see is war. A struggle for survival, but there is no progress. The Sergal race once stood at the top of the latter as one of the most respected races of the universe. It is beyond saddening to see you squabble over resources like water and fertile ground, when you could be roaming the stars." It said. That caught my attention.

"Wait a minute, you mean to tell me there is a world beyond this? Where other races of Sergal roaming the stars on steeds of steal? Using weapons greater than the spear and sword?" I said with awe.

"Yes and no. Sergals are a unique form of life, so much that there are few other races that are like them. There are many forms of sentient life in the universe. An age ago Sergals, along with many other races once traveled the stars. Created feats of technology that to you would seem like magic only seen in your wildest dreams." The machines seem to garble more buzzing at this. How long had they been alive?

"How long ago was this 'age' as you call it, how advanced is the technology? Can… can you fix my eyes?" I asked it.

"We can do more than that. Your eyes are a simple tool that can be repaired and made better by us. As well as your damaged body. Do you wish for us to perform the operations?" It asked rather unnecessarily.

"What do you think? Do it." I said. I was annoyed with the machine's constant droning. Why did it need permission for every little thing?

The "drone" as it called itself guided me with other machines to what I guessed was another room. They gently put me on what I think was a table. I felt something sharp enter my skin. "Relax your body as we administer the drugs into you. They will induce a coma. When you wake up you will be fully healed." Without my sight, and with a euphoric sensation of vertigo, I was gently coaxed into unconsciousness.

If I had to guess on how much time passed… I would say a few days. But being comatose like that was not pleasant. I realized that my eyes were being kept shut by some outside force. Probably a machine of some sort. I took a moment to remember what had happened since my encounter with Rain Silves. I tried to gain some kind of bearing but I had absolutely no sense of balance or a solid grasp of the world around me. I felt very queasy. Then I heard a sound, it was the footsteps of a newcomer.

"Sergal, your operation was a success. Your eyes are better than ever…" He snapped his fingers and the device pulled away from my eyes. I opened them and everything was blurry at first but after a few seconds they focused. The room I was in was beyond my wildest fantasies.

It was a coliseum filled with machines and technology. Many of the machines were the size of mountains. There were suits of armor and weapons that seemed to be forged just for Sergals. All around machines worked and manufactured. I was in a small alcove that opened up to it. An almost invisible shield covered the entrance. "Amazing, isn't it? This is only a fraction of what your race accomplished in the last age." The voice said. I looked over at it; the voice came from a robotic Sergal.

The voice was masculine. Or at least as masculine as a machines voice could be. Its form was a perfect representation of a massive Sergal. Its coat was mat-black and white. Its eyes were a glowing emerald. It stepped out from the shadows and I saw that it was covered in feathers. I could only guess at the material.

I tried to get up but I had been restrained. "I must apologize for shackling you to the operating table… In your comatose state you flailed and struggled quite a bit. Interesting considering your races current genetic profile, which states that you have a very limited introduction to narcotics." It continued.

"My what?" I asked. The machine-Sergal sighed. "Genetic profile. It is what we call your genetic make-up. Who you are and what you are made of. Down to the chemical structure of your cells. Each race has one. Overall they are used as a reference to see how far we can manipulate your bodies' genes." He finished.

"What do you hope to gain from messing with a person's uh… Zzjenes." I replied. I did not know what the word meant, nor had I heard it before. I do not believe my language had a cognate for the term. He looked at me shocked. "You don't know? Didn't Zykote explain this to you?" He said.

"I don't even know who this… 'Zykote' is." I replied. "Why can't you just tell me?" I asked. The machine Sergal stared at me stoically. "Unless you have a century of life to spend listening to me I don't want to bother." It replied. "However…" it trailed off.

"What?" I asked intrigued. "And get me off of this damn table!" I said angrily. The machine Sergal chuckled.

"Fine." He snapped his fingers and the machines holding me gave way. It felt good to be able to move. I looked down at my chest and noticed that the feathers had been shaven off.

"WH-what did you do to me!?" I yelled at him. I snarled and bared my teeth. It crossed its arms. "Calm down. You didn't think we were going to able to perform surgery on you with all those feathers? We needed to remove them in order save your failing hearts and re-sow the wound." He brought up a screen from nowhere and it startled me at first. "We also had to remove the feathers around your eyes." He finished. I stared at the image of myself. I was surprised at how I actually looked.

My remaining feathers were a dark orange with hints of gold that played into my limbs. The area around my eyes was black and my hands up to the wrists were black. My eyes were hazel. I had never seen my own face before this moment. I swiped at the image of myself until it disappeared. "You were going to continue on in your explanations, machine?" I asked.

The machine Sergal smiled. "Flash-training. It goes right in hand with genetic manipulation." It said.

"You keep pushing this 'zzjene' testing manipulation. Why? Why do you insist that I let you change my body?" I asked it.

"It is more than just simple change; it is forced evolution. In the old age Sergals were massive creatures… in retrospect to you. They were taller, stronger, faster, and far more intelligent. No offense." It said. I shrugged, I was not made for the forge-work. I was a worrier, I left the book reading and number-matching to the priests and the steel makers. "We will unlock the repressed genes in your body that will make you like you once were. At the same time a Sergal's genetic profile is accepting of foreign gene codes. In Laymen's terms; we will take traits from other sentient creatures that we have tried and proven that your anatomy will accept. This is what the Sergal race did in the old age and it made you the perfect life forms. Along with the other sentient life." It finished.

"Can you make me bigger, stronger, and more aggressive than Rain Silves?" I asked. It looked at me confused.

"Who is that? I assume that it is another Sergal?" He said.

"She is the biggest Sergal alive. And is responsible for uniting the Northern clans against the southern clans. She is cold-hearted and infamous amongst my people for her ruthlessness. She killed my entire family and left me for dead." I said. "That was… before."

"Before what?" The automaton asked.

"Before my exile. I had a family who I loved dearly. But we had rivals in our clan that wanted us gone. A deal was struck with the clan of Shigu to eliminate us. Rain and her scum came in the night and kidnapped us all. I survived only because I escaped her… I spent the next two years hunting down and killing the clansmen responsible. This unfortunately was a lot of Sergals. When I had finished spilling their blood and leaving their corpses for the scavengers, and taking a few as my meals, the chiefs of the southern clans held a tribunal to decide my fate." I paused and took a breath. The machine Sergal stood there motionless.

"I had upset the balance of power. And in turn had shown that I was a threat. Culturally the decision came down to exile. And so it was. It wasn't that bad after awhile… I headed north and met up with some raiders, I called them my new family. We learned new fighting styles, drank a lot of alcohol, spent the nights with nice ladies. It was the life." I smiled at the good memories that I had with them. "Then we saw opportunity too good to pass up; a whole Shigu colony caravan. We made our move and bit off more than we could chew. We lost everyone, and I met Rain again. That's how I got shot and ended up here." I finished.

"You want revenge then? You want to make this… Rain… suffer?" It asked. My face was molded in anger. "I want more. I want to destroy everything she has worked so hard to build. I want to ruin her legacy and make her look like the monster that she is. Then I want to break and ruin the Northern clan of Shigu. I want to wound them in such a way that they won't ever recover!" I said.

The machine Sergal was silent for a long time before replying. "There was another Sergal in the past age who you remind me of… I believe some of you worship him as a god?"

I perked up. "The god-worrier and father of the Sergal race; the great Vilous? But that is not possible, he was killed long ago." I said. The machine Sergal seemed to make a sound like metal rubbing on plastic; a laugh perhaps?

"Organics… You go a few millennium and you make your heroes into gods and worship them as idols. It is as pathetic as it is comical. No, Vilous was not a god, he was a man. And he was killed on the last battlefield in the old age. He was a worrier among the best, who was as respected as he was feared. He had ambition, vision, and was ready to do what he had to do to make his people great. You are a lot like him." It said.

"What's your point?" I replied. It continued "You remember your ancient prophecy? The only one still shared by both clans? About how when he died three holy objects took his place. Well, the objects were not a material, but individuals that carried his genes. We have become active again because two are now alive. We know that one has united the clans… that must be this 'Rain Silves' you speak of. And now, through blood testing we know that the other stands before us." I was silent. "That's right; you are the second heir of the worrier Vilous. You… And Rain. It seems that you and she share a common destiny. But in the end it seems that only one of you can be called Vilous reborn."

"And what about the third holy one?" The machine shook his head. "We do not know. It is believed that he, or she, has not yet been born. Let us hope it does not complicate things." I thought hard about this revelation. It is known that Rain Silves eats her victims. I thought she did it just to prove a point… But if the ritual could actually be used take genes from other people then it had a greater propose? Ironic, she held a holy object in her grasp, and she let it slip away… she wouldn't get that chance again. "What role does my heritage play for you and your… machines?" I inquired.

"Through you or her the Sergal race may finally begin to progress far enough to be on par with the other races. Vilous saw what needed to be done and executed his plans. It is because of his ambition that we made it as far as we did. But this… Rain Silves. She is your ultimate obstacle isn't she?" It asked.

"Obstacle? What do you mean? She is my goal! I want to mount her head on a stake while I devour her corpse! She has devoured so many of mine. I say it is only fit I feast on her and her clan-mates." I said.

"You're concentrating too much on her, and not enough on what you could be. She represents stagnation and war. But you can represent progress and understanding! It's just a matter of having the resources and technology to back you up. That's why we want to help you; you can finally end the downward spiral that will end in your extinction." I got up off the table and approached it. "If I decide to be the image of the Reborn Vilous, will you allow me to use this technology as I see fit?" I asked.

"You never needed to ask. You are the heir to Vilous and all of his legacy. We were created to serve him, and in turn his offspring. But he was never specific as to which of his children we had to follow… We want you to be the one who leads our race to the stars again. To reclaim the territory lost and pick up the pieces of the last empire." It said. "But be warned; if Rain Silves finds the other vaults; as you have, we will be forced to serve her as well. You must create an army to reclaim the vaults all over the globe." It finished.

"I am guessing that you want to unlock the zzjenes in me that will make me more like the image Vilous?" I asked. "If you can give me the power I need to make her weak and pale in comparison, than I will end this bloody conflict. By killing her, her clan, and her legacy. The path to the stars will be paved in the blood of the Shigu! And the galaxy will know the might of Reono! Then the universe will bow in terror to us! As they did in the old age!" I said. I started to laugh at the thought of my armies crushing and taking world after world. With me as their God of War. The machine-Sergal smiled in stoic excitement.

"To the ascension chamber then. We have much work to do before you are ready to be Vilous reborn." I got up and followed the machine out of the chamber into the coliseum… into the massive, forgotten world below the surface of my home.

The machine… who called itself Sayabato led me deeper into the underground world of Vilous. The corridors stood taller then what should be possible. It arched upwards, a combination of styles from multiple races. I looked around, to my left and to my right were figures carved from stone. But it was not the clayish substance that my home was known for. These rocks were shiny and white; but the stones on the other side where black and shining, like pieces of a game the machines referred to as chess. Most were Sergals, but some were the same race as Lucien…

But that was not all. In the ground I walked on the tiles were molded together by a flowing amber liquid. It looked like gold and quick-silver. But the machines called it 'mercury'. Apparently it was the same substance but it looked much more pure. The massive corridor held ancient artistic works that were indescribably beautiful. Each was safe-guarded by devises called 'stasis-fields'. Another construct of the extinct Agodona clan. Drones that looked a lot like floating metallic flower petals around a sphere maintained the room and its splendors. One drone stood out because it had three floating rings that orbited the sphere with the metallic petals. It floated in front of Sayabato. They spoke in the buzzing from before. After only a few seconds the drone left him (because of its voice I began to infer to the machine as a he instead of it. It seemed to appreciate this) and floated in front of me.

"What do you know of this room, Sergal?" The drone asked. It had the same voice as the being who I had first encountered.

"You're the voice from before… you must be this "Zykote" that Sayabato speaks so enviously about." I stated directly. The drone had no face or discernible eyes other than a cobalt light in its center that glowed like a sphere. But at times it bobbed and bounced in the air. I made the assumption that this is how it tries to mimic emotions.

"We are Zykote. Each and every drone you see here is a personification of the program Zykote. By your understanding we are one being, divided by the solitude of an individual unit in order to gain a form of individuality. In this way we mimic the organic in their comprehension of life." It stated. I was busy looking at the massive room.

"Indeed." I replied bored by the science that I could not comprehend. "What does this room represent? It reminds me somewhat of a throne room…" I said. Sayabato smiled like a teacher who finally made a break-though with a mediocre student.

"This is the throne room of Lord Vilous. While he was not necessarily a king as you understand it he was definitely the alpha. These paintings are all representations of the battles he and his comrades fought. Truly he was like a god among men. Even after his genes had been enhanced he still grew and learned at an impossibly fast rate. By the time his body had finished developing he stood a whole meter taller than the largest of the Sergals. Truly he was a specimen unparallel in his perfection." Zykote said almost too dramatically. "Surrounding the columns are those who he called brothers." He paused for a moment as I looked at the massive statues. Some of them were neither Sergal or… Lucien's race. But a very common trait that was expressed in each of the statues where scruffs of feathers on their forearms, shoulders, and even caths and thighs.

"You have me curious now… Zykote. Why do these creatures have the traits of a Sergal? That cannot be coincidence." I said. Sayabato answered my question.

"Each and every one of these worriers was a brother or sister in more than just purpose. When they gained his trust and in turn his love; like the love between two brothers, he would generously give them a large portion of his blood. It would be injected into their blood stream via the ascension chamber and their bodies then underwent a dramatic transformation. Their bodies held their original forms, but with the speed and agility of a Sergal. As well they would grow feather-plumes that varied in color on parts of their body; finally, their faces would inhabit a personification of Vilous's handsome features. But in a way that was preferable to the subject's race." Sayabato finished as we walked. We came to the end of the chamber and I saw a massive throne. It was covered in all sorts of materials that I could only guess at. But it was over toned in the red sands of the deserts, and the black of the night sky.

I could not help but smile. "This must be his throne chair. Or… I guess now it is mine." I placed my hand on it and felt its impossibly smooth stone finish. The throne hummed to my touch like a beast recognizing the hand that fed it. I sat in it and realized that I was like a toddler sitting in its father's lap. It was too large for me. "Can you make me him? The size and the strength I mean." I asked the machines. Sayabato and Zykote stared at each other and spoke in binary. I found it beyond irritating when they did this. But it allowed them to speak quicker than one could with their tongue, so I tolerated it.

"Exactly him? No. We unlocked his genes and manipulated them as far as they could go… his true size and strength is a mystery even to us. There is no known means of explaining how he continued to develop past what should have been possible. But we can unlock your genes and make you as big as your genes will permit you. This is about two feet larger than Rain Silves." Zykote replied.

"Uh… feet?" I replied. I looked down at my feet and felt very confused.

"It is a form of measurement. You know what that is?" Sayabato said. I looked at him and shook my head. He sighed. "It doesn't matter now anyways. Soon much will be made clear. A hatch opened and we continued through it. In it was a glass cylinder surrounded by cables and metal claws.

"You expect me to enter that… thing?" I said. It reminded me a bit of a massive spider. I hate spiders and all forms of eight-legged bugs. They each carried potent venoms and I had lost two sons to their bites. Needless to say whenever I saw one I went out of my way to wipe it out of existence.

"What did you expect!? This science is beyond anything your pathetic excuse for a brain can comprehend! Just because your organic sub-conscious tells you to flee do you listen? What am I saying of course you do..." Sayabato scoffed and crossed his arms. "It is amazing what our masters have devolved into. If I had my way we would have wiped you away like the vermin you are and I would have overseen your evolution." He said. I had had enough of his disrespectful commentary. I turned to him and stared into his artificial eyes. He smiled, taunting me. "What are you going to do, little flesh-bag?" he said. I grabbed him by his metallic neck and forced him to look me in the eyes. I said nothing as I put pressure on his metallic neck and squeezed. Sayabato tried to pull away. But once I had made my point I let go. The machinery that made up his neck screeched as the gyros were pulled out of position. I had no idea where that strength had come from.

"Interesting…" Zykote said without a hint of emotion. "Even without genetic manipulation Lord Vilous's strength has manifested itself in your anger." He said. I looked at my hand; the skin had swelled and the muscles were twitching without control. "But even your body is rejecting your strengths." I pushed Sayabato out of my way to look at the machine.

I stared into the white water and the machinery inside of the pod. I hesitated, I was scared of what I did not know. "Will it hurt?" I asked. Zykote flew to my side.

"At first… yes it will. But once the machines enter your body and the cables solidify you're bodies comprehension of pain will begin to dissipate. But at that time your body's cells will have liquefied. I will tell you this; if you make this choice there will be no going back. It is irreversible." Zykote said.

I closed my eyes and breathed deep. I was scared of the pain that I would feel. And that I might die… What if I die here? What if I become a soulless machine or some deformed abomination?

The images of Rain Silves came back to me. I remembered how she killed my whole family, how she taunted my comrades and brought so much pain and misery to me… then I remembered how she threw me around and left me to die. I… I remember all those years ago when she held that infant and ripped the feathers from his body to try to enrage and break us. That infant was my nephew.

The infant died in Lucien's arms. Lucien… he was as much to blame as Rain Silves; for he sided with her. He saw what she could do with his own eyes and still he sides with that monster. He is as much to blame as her.

I exhaled my breath. My reasoning restored. I climbed into the pod and put my arms into the arm clasps. "Do it. I am certain that this is what I want." Sayabato walked into my line of vision with Zykote over his shoulder.

" I apologize for ridiculing you earlier. I thought that you were going to shy away from your destiny. I was wrong." Sayabato said. I looked at him and nodded once.

"You are forgiven." I said. Zykote floated closer. "I ask one more time for emphasis; are you sure you want to go through with this?" He said.

"I have never been more certain of anything in my life Zykote. Now do it." I said. Sayabato nodded and they pulled away. "I'm coming for you Rain... And when I get my hands on you there will be a reckoning unlike anything our race has ever seen." I said when the cylinder closed around me. The temperature rose as the pod was filled with a misty water. The shackles locked around my ankles and wrists. Soon later I felt as the cables dug into my skin, then my muscles, then my bones. It was the most painful thing I had ever felt.

The pod filled to the brim with the water and I squirmed as I felt myself suffocate. A large cable welded itself to my spine and it burned. I would scream if I had any air left in my lungs.

The cables that had welded itself to my spine injected me with needles and smaller wires. After a short time they made their way into my cerebral cortex. Implanting my mind with the accepted and proven scientific theories, the most advanced forms of mathematics, and all history through the eyes of my ancestors… all the way back to my arcane grand-father Vilous. I saw what we had become. We were not the angelic beings the fables described us as… we were warlords. Creatures uprooted by Humanity.

…Humanity. They are the ones who saw what we could become. And more than just tools of war, they treated us like the favored children. They gave us so much and in turned asked only for the right to call us allies.

It paid off for both races. Humanity and its alliances roamed and explored the galaxies in their reach. Our comprehension of technology and space travel soon rivaled our patron race. But even after this we still stood together as allies against a cold and uncaring universe. And our race was with them until…

Until the time of extermination. And the end of a golden age… The coils that had worked into my mind started to release electric impulses and it hurt. The memory of that time had left a genetic imprint on Vilous's ancestors. I saw… machines, spirits, and demons? There were other things I had trouble comprehending… it seemed that Vilous himself could not understand what was right in front of him. Ironic, he was the pinnacle of our race… but not even he could understand the inevitable destruction that led to the supposed extinction of all life.

What exactly happened was beyond Vilous. And so I could not understand it either. But in the last moments before extinction the remnants of each race willingly sacrificed their diploidic cells. In them came the future. Without standard manipulation and the ravishes of time our race's genes became more suppressed and with it so too our knowledge and our progress.

The wires placed artificial cells into my brain that allowed me to see what came next. In place the organic, was the machine. They were called the overseers. Machines made in the image of their race who watched over the legacy of their masters. Waiting for the moment to release them back into the worlds that were called 'cradles'. Like a newborn rests in its cradle so too would the reborn races learn and evolve over the thousands of years it took for the organic to change and evolve. Ignorant of the fact that their entire evolutionary tree was a predetermined path placed before them.

The machines chose to enter a state of hibernation. For even though they were more immune to the ravishes of time… they were not eternal. Some awoke at the right time, others did not. Without the machines to guide the young reborn races they, or we rather, were forced to re-learn and struggle without them.

The only exception is my race. Vilous wanted us to struggle and learn again. He believed that it would give us the advantage. How ironic that it would happen to all the races. In the end it was not the machine that would lead us to our ascension… but us. Things kept coming to me like this in waves. And for the first time in my short life I could confidently say that I knew.

I felt my body change as well. If I were to consider myself a fetus then the pod was my womb. I felt my cells become gelatinous and I felt as if I were unborn. My muscles became more taught and my bones warped. Some were new, others were improved. My body became… larger, more resilient. As elements were laced into my structure that in nature could never occur. Then my skin was tightly wrapped around me. It was resilient and soft. And at the same time tight and smooth. I felt my skin morph as scales and lines but there was more than just the skin and tissue.

I felt a foreign presence in me, it was metal. But as the synthetic cells in my mind told me; these were not some prosthetics given to a crippled Sergal, these were enhancements. Made to give me superior skills in combat and in life. For every muscle there were at least three enhancements. I was even installed with very hard transparent plasteel that would cover my eyes. So that my enemies would never be able to blind me again. I could also understand binary. Just a few of my new… gifts.

I was almost ready for my rebirth. My feathers had grown back, my muscles were developed, my skin taught and firm, and my bones were as hard as adamantium. Truly; I felt invincible!

_You who holds my genes… you who is the heir to my legacy… I have so much I want to say. But I must be quick. In my time I made many mistakes… you MUST learn from my mistakes… to you… I say this._

_All that you have learned sets you apart. You must guard your knowledge with your life, and share it with only your closest of friends… or better yet, no one at all._

_Learn from our predecessors; _

_Knowledge can bring enlightenment, it can bring progress, but it can also destroy and corrupt. Protect what you know with your life. _

The cables disappeared; their metallic embrace left me… I felt alone without the embrace of the machine. The white water filled with vital chemicals and oxygen still held me. My enhanced hearing picked up the sound of gyros and magnets giving way.

I place my hand on the side of the cylinder and rose. I tried to inhale but my lungs had been filled with liquid oxygen. The enhancements in my body created gaps in my lungs and I began to cough-up massive amounts of the liquid. After only a moment I began to breath normally. It was odd, usually I would need a second to orient myself… but I was ready to move now.

I began to lift myself from the cylinder. But my body no longer felt like my own. There were more nerves and muscles, and I was far bigger then I was originally. I stood up, prepared to catch myself as I expected to have to re-learn to balance. Instead my cybernetic enhancements (which at this point I realized were completely embedded under my skin) adjusted accordingly. It was as if the transition from one body to another were going to be too easy…

My foot touched the solid ground of the metallic floor and made a loud _thuum_ in the massive chamber. (There it is…) I thought. (I weigh a lot more…) I brought an image of my body on the plasteel screens over my eyes. I saw that my body had the muscles of many creatures. I had the brutal strength of a human that played perfectly into my Sergal anatomy. Along with many other skin and muscle tones. My bones were denser and even dueled; where originally I had only one thigh bone I now had two. I had secondary and tertiary organs to support my primary.

I flexed and stretched every muscle. I felt good. Like every muscle had been messaged, like I had awoken from my best night of sleep in years. My feathers were changing colors to match the environment as well. They turned a pure black, while my chest and torso were grey and white. My eyes were emerald green with hints of amber. But I knew that they would change with my emotions. I smiled a toothy grin. I had two rows of teeth; the outer was made for tearing, with two sets of fangs, while the inner was made for grinding. I now held the traits of both the Shigu and the Reono… the perfect genetic hybrid.

Sayabato stood with his arms behind his back. I stood a head taller than him now. He bowed his head to me. "My lord; we are yours to command." He said.

"Manufacturing out-put is at six percent, my Lord. If you wish we can start to create far faster… we are at your word." Zykote chimed in, my smile still on my face. I considered my next moves carefully… But of all my actions, I suppose I need a name. My old name would no longer suite me. It was weak, and it represented the old, the past. I needed something that would strike fear into my enemies… something with meaning.

A name appeared in my head like a whisper. Where it came from I could not discern, but I did not care.

…_Kaine…_

Yes, it was rough and harsh. Now a last name. I needed the name of a warlord. When I had it hit me like a train.

…_Tepest…_

It had meaning and danger. In the old "Agodona" language it was a title that meant "_he who drinks blood". _How quant. I did indeed intend to drink a lot of blood very soon. All of it Shigu.

I had a craving in me to fight and eat that came from nowhere… A side effect of my new body. I would have to learn to control these bodily swings… or… I could indulge every one of them. My new massive and enhanced mind began to calculate my next move.

"Put these factories to their max-output. I will bring the Reono clans and the renegades to you, and you shall outfit them with armor and weapons. Start to triangulate the locations of the nearest vaults as well." I ordered them.

"Yes, Lord Vilous." They both said. I stopped them before they could go with a yell.

"**Vilous!?** No… I am not him; I am his son! I am Kaine Tepest! Lord of Vilous and his scion! And through me my race will be greater than they were even under my father! Mark my words; once Rain Silves is punished for every crime she has committed I will lead us to the future."

"Perhaps… yes, perhaps I will also fulfill this prophesy… She will suffer, then I will kill her. And feast on her bones! Bringing me one step closer to my ascension… Now that I think about it, she is in some ways my sister." I laughed at this. "How poetic, that I will take these claws and consume my own kin. Like a common animal. All in the name of progress."

"I will have my army first." I said. "I have work to do, WE have work to do." With that the machines left my presence. The factories began to work almost immediately.

I walked out of the cave to see the sun rising over the red desert of Vilous. A strong breeze was blowing and it picked up my cloak. My shining armor, fresh from the armory line was shining, pure silver and a red reflection of the sun. I breathed in deep, inhaling my first breath of non-synthesized oxygen in weeks. I walked into desert, a lone man against the harsh world, a smile on my face. I was heading home.


	2. Chapter 1

There is a story amongst my people that says the reason why our deserts are as red as the fluid that pumps through our bodies is that a long time ago; there was a war where the entire Sergal race was united. The story always changes with the elder who speaks it, but the outcome is the same; each worrier who fought then was killed. They all bled like stuffed cattle… and the desert drank their blood like the finest alcohol.

All except for the great Vilous. God of the Sergals. But the truth is of course darker, and far more believable. The reason the sands are red is because of a large concentration of red phosphorous. A very deadly chemical that is a commodity on this world… It is also incredibly toxic to most life forms.

Those of the desert like the Reono… or I suppose for that matter the Shigu should be included. Sergals… well, 'natural' Sergals, have three lungs. One is more of a filter though, used to inhale the toxic chemicals in the atmosphere, so the other two can inhale pure oxygen and nitrogen.

Interesting; before my transformation I did not care for science or understanding the world around me. Now… I may be one of the most intelligent Sergals alive.

The desert was beautiful, it always was… I remember as a child, or cub, that its seemingly infinite abyss scared me. I was afraid I would be devoured whole by it. But now I am its master. This desert is my home, and soon all who dwell here will recognize me as their leader. I began to climb a hill of pure sand, the wind had picked up and I was buffeted by the storm. But it did not stop me. My enhanced body overcame every obstacle it faced. It had been three days since I had eaten, drank, or slept. Any other creature would be dead. But I had yet to even feel parched.

Once I reached the zenith of the hill, I used the implanted scopes in my eyes to zoom in on the city. It was a metropolis built into a crater impact left by an asteroid millions of years ago. I could not help but smile as I saw that the grey flower petals of the trees and flowers that surrounded the city were flowing in the wind. I could smell the pollen and nectar from here.

I was jubilated by the sight of the city. It may not be as beautiful as the cities of the north… but it was still a testament to what those of the desert could accomplish. I took a deep breath, and descended the hill.

"Home…" I whispered.

Yoshoi was not the grand city I remembered it being. The buildings were cracked, and uncared for. The ornamental metals had been ripped off, probably by raiders… Like I once was.

Much to my dismay… this was not my home anymore. Grey, unhealthy flower petals rained around me. But where were the children to take them to their mothers? Where were the proud men ready to go to war?

Where were the women, who so much depended on? The wind blew against the side of my face… and a gleam from the twin suns of the planet reflected off of a massive dome. That was a new construct. A roof made from glass and the metals of the city… I decided that it would be best to start there. I entered the supposedly dead city.

I had not gone far before I encountered life. A heard a _'thunk-thunk-thunk'_ sound. My adrenal glands began to pump as I reacted mentally and physically to what could be a threat. I growled. But it was only a toy.

It was a ball made from the flayed skin of some cattle animal. I picked it up, its weight was light and overall it was well made. I smelled the scents of fear. Two small children, both boys, were looking at me. One boy's legs were shaking. I felt confused, why were they afraid of me? When I remembered that through their eyes, I must look like a male Rain Silves.

I smiled, and approached them slowly. They tried to back away from me. "Don't run. I don't want to hurt you." I said. I could not tell if they stopped because I asked them to, or because they are too scared to do anything else. I got on one knee, and held the ball out to them. They snatched it away, but did not run. They seemed just as confused as me.

"What are your names?" I asked them. They did not reply. They stared at me, uneasily. "Where are your care-takers?" Still nothing. "Why do you not speak?" I said with a little irritation. They shrugged in fear of me. I sighed, understanding that I was still a monster to them. "It is as if your fathers never taught you to…" I trailed off. That is when I realized that they were submitting to me. They would not speak for fear of punishment. Gaining their trust would require a lot of time.

"Come. I will return you to your parents." At the mention of them, the two boys began to cry. I held my hands defensively. I was not certain as to how I had offended them. "What? What did I say?" I said. One of the boys pointed in the direction of the temple. I nodded; I believed I finally understood what had happened in the two years since my exile.

I stood up. "Go somewhere safe." I said. One of the boys put his hand in mine. I looked down, and this pathetic creature looked up at me like… like I was his father. For reasons beyond me, I wiped the tears from his eyes, and he seemed to relax. Now he had someone bigger to protect him. The other tried to climb on to my back, but my armor was designed to be ungrabable. My cloak the same. "Hold on…" I said. I grabbed him by his arm pits, and gently lifted him onto my shoulders. He smiled, and even squealed in excitement. I could not help but feel compassion for them. Perhaps the safest place they could be was with me.

The boy who held my hand guided me through the wrecked city. We came to a whole pack of miscreants and gangers. Many if not all had not even reached puberty. I heard a growl and they scattered like flies. An older girl appeared. She was tackled by a Sergal in armor.

"How long did think you could hide?" He yelled at her as held her down. She bit him; he yelled in pain and smashed a blunt weapon into her stomach. "You will learn your place…" He said. He brought the weapon down on her shin, breaking the already brittle bone.

I had seen enough. I lowered the boy off my shoulder, and rushed forward. I punched him in his kidney, and swept his feet out from under him. He lay on the ground in searing pain. I had likely pulped his kidney… good.

I grabbed his throat, his back on the ground, my grip tightening. "What do you hope to gain from beating children, whelp?" I asked him. He immediately became afraid of me. His tail curled in to show his submission. "What? Not so tough now are you?" I said. His eyes were tearing up. He was in a lot of pain… and I loved that I could make someone feel this way. A sadistic smile ran across my face.

"Who is your leader?" He choked and his eyes looked like they might burst from his head. I relaxed my grip enough for him to breath. Just enough.

"L-lord Giru. He is the king of this city… and we are his servants." He kept trying to breathe, the veins in his eyes disappearing.

"So… you enjoy forcing children to submit to you?" I said. "Why not another adult? Why not a challenge?" He didn't reply. I tightened my grip. "Coward." I said. I threw him across the alley. He hit the ground in a heap, and did not move. I saw children, and old men. They crept from the shadows and the broken windows. All of them looking at me. More guards appeared, armed with spears and swords. Their leader was covered in steal, and was fat. "Kill him!" He said, and pointed his spear at me.

My helmet rebuilt itself around my skull, I popped my knuckles, and my eyes turned amber. Two blades extended from my forearms… and I let myself go.

Three guards charged together; two with spears, the largest with a blade. He leapt in the air as the other two charged me. I swept to the side and grabbed one guards' spear. I bent it with help from my armor's powered machinery. Before the guard could react I jabbed the side of his head, breaking the snout, and popping an eye. I grabbed the back of his head, and with my other blade I decapitated him. I kicked his body to the side with a hook kick, and used his severed head as a blunt weapon. I beat his comrade with it, spraying him with a coat of blood. When the Sergal armed with the sword struck, I blocked the strike with my armored forearm. His sword ringing against my forged steel, I leapt and used a spin back kick to push him away. I punched the other Sergal in the stomach. I was too strong for him to effectively fight me. He bent over, and puked blood. I brought my fists together and bashed them against the back of his skull. He hit the ground and stopped moving.

The last guard swung his blade again. I blocked with my own. He was fast. He and I traded strikes and parries for at least a minute before I found my opening. I kicked him in the stomach, and he fell back. "You're too good a worrier to let this fat, pompous fool order you. Why not join a true leader?" I said.

He spat at me. "I am loyal to the strongest Lord! And no else!" He said. I respected that. I grabbed his head and threw him into the ground. Just enough to incapacitate him. The rest of the guards hesitated. Their fat leader was trying to suppress his shaking. I balanced on a single toe, and taunted them to attack me.

Two more charged, they were impressively agile, and attacked together. But I saw past their technique. I concentrated on one of them. When he struck, I blocked him and jabbed my blade into his chest. He tried to scream in agony, I lifted him off the ground, still impaled, and laughed. I threw his dying body off. The other worrier had the eyes of vengeance. He charged at me, all technique and discipline forgotten.

That was his mistake. I kicked him in his solar plexus, leapt into the air, and sacked him with spin kick. He slammed into the ground, his corpse pulsing, his jaw broken. I let him bleed.

"The next worrier to face me will share his fate!" I said. "You shall be spared if you drop your blades now. And swear your allegiance to a TRUE worrier!" The remaining guards were hesitant for a moment. But they all complied. Their weapons clanked and groaned. The fat Sergal stuttered and sweated.

"W-what are you doing!? Strike him! Kill him! I command you to!" He yelled at them. I started walking towards him. His flustering and panicking was amusing to me. He threw a boy between me and him. I grabbed the boy by his shoulders and pushed him to the side.

"Leaders do not send boys to do die for them, _pig!_" I said. The word does not exist in our tongue. But it had the desired effect. He tried to strike me with his spear, but his blade was as well kept as his body. I pushed it to the side, and disarmed him before kicking him in the groin. "What did this… Giru promise you? Power? Wealth? Pleasures of the flesh?" He stuttered and coughed. I stood far taller than him, like a god to a mortal. I grabbed him by the neck and lifted him to my eyes. "This is your last chance; prove to me you are not a waste of skin." I said. I wanted him to fight me, to rebel, but instead he began to beg.

"P-please… don't kill me. I'll do anything, I'll even tell you about Giru…" He pleaded. It got my attention.

"Two years ago I was exiled from this very city for killing almost every one of the lords and vassals. I spared only the ones who did not wrong me. Does that remind you of anyone?" I said. He looked even more afraid now. He nodded. "You will tell me what happened when I left. And you will tell me **NOW!" **My voice went down in octaves.

"Giru's father was the only lord who remained! After your exile he became so paranoid he died from heart failure! His heir stepped in and everything changed! He promised the men who stayed loyal to him would be made his counts, everyone else below us!" He squealed in horror. I silenced him by closing his windpipe.

"And what of the women and these children?" He tried to speak, but I interrupted him. I had already come to a conclusion. "The women are currency, aren't they? And those who do not carry the blood of the counts of Giru were left to die on the streets…" I turned to the guards who had dropped their weapons to me. "How many of you have lost your mates to this pathetic bureaucracy? How many women and children were you forced to beat at the cost of your life?" My outlook became darker. "How did he keep you in line?"

One of the guards removed his helmet, and tossed it. "Fear." He said. "He made us watch as he tortured those who spoke against him. Then he killed every conspirator, took our property, our wives, and even all the food." The guard stepped towards me. To face me. "There was no way out. Our lives became a living hell… and we let it happen. I am no better than Giru… I let him take the woman I loved, because I was weak." Tears came to his eyes.

"You are noble enough to take the blame for your failures. That is more than this coward ever did." I said as I shook the shaking fat Sergal. "What is your name, worrier?" I asked him.

"Crytus." He replied.

"Crytus, I offer you a chance of redemption through revenge. Join me, and I will reunite you with your wife, and be certain to find your children… if they still live." I said. He nodded and the others held a respect in their eyes. "The same goes to all of you. What do you say?" They all bowed to me. Lowering their heads in submission. That was good enough for now.

"Last question, _pig._" I said. "How many wives do you have?" He looked very shocked.

"Thirteen." He said. I shook my head in disgust. "Y-you'll let me go now right? We had a deal; I answer your questions, and you let me live." He said. My helmet deconstructed so I could look him in the eyes.

"I never promised to spare you. You spilled all of your secrets to me with just a little violence. You are the definition of a coward. And I will enjoy removing you." I smiled and squeezed as hard as my muscles would let me. I felt his neck crack, and the blood filled his windpipe. He coughed and choked on his blood… while his paralyzed body fell slack. Satisfied that the harshest of judgments had been dealt, I dropped his corpse.

The boys approached me again. They held on to my legs, happy that I had defeated one of their bullies. "Your children?" Crytus asked.

"They are now. I think that Giru killed their father. As for the mother… I hope that fate has been kind to her." I replied. The orphans reappeared and surrounded the fallen female from earlier. I moved the orphans out of my way to get a better look at her.

She was very fit, and so skinny it was unhealthy. I concluded that she was just as malnourished as the rest of the children. I found her very interesting.

"Why are you here on the streets, and not being used like the other females?" I asked her.

"I was one of Giru's couriers. Before I disappeared. Up to this point I had evaded his guards. But as you saw…" She started. She looked to the boys still clinging to my legs. She knows them.

"Who is their mother" I asked. She became sadder.

"The better question is who she was…" She replied.

"I see… They refuse to speak to me. Do you know their names?" I asked her. "You seem to be the leader of these outcaste cubs." She nodded in confirmation.

"I have been stealing food and water for them for the last year and a half… it's been… hard." She said. "I have only heard the older one say a few words myself. The younger is scared of everything… or so it seemed. I know that their mother died when they just learned to walk. I don't think they have names." She said.

"I have empathy for you all. I spent the last two years in exile. Force to kill and steal to survive. After a miraculous discovery, my body changed. That is why I am no longer your size… and I am no longer the same man who left this city two years ago." I said.

"Then what shall we call you?" Crytus asked. They all seemed curious, even the Sergals hiding in their destroyed buildings.

"My name is Kayne Tepest, lord of the deserts. I wish for the conflict with the north to end. To finally allow our race to progress forth… to give us a future. But I cannot do it alone. I will need the help of the Reono. My people. Will you join me?" I said.

"We will follow you to the end of time, my lord." Crytus said. I kneeled down so I could be level with the boys.

"Stay here. Protect this female. I will return." I said. They stood with the courier, their chests puffed out as they tried to make themselves look intimidating. I was both proud and amused. "Crytus. Take me to the temple. The most direct route. I am going to kill every guard in my way." I said.

The people of the slums began to leave their houses when I announced this. They followed me and the guards. Keeping their distance.

Crytus held both respect and power amongst the men. I could tell he was older. The fact that he had lived long enough to raise four sons to adult hood and still have two daughters was amazing to me. When the guards saw him walk with me, they hesitated. Most of them just dropped their wepons at the sight of me. Children approached me, their care-takers afraid that I would strike them down…

Fools. I do not kill children. If it does not have the ability to fight back, it just isn't fun. Instead I smiled and patted their heads, some I lifted and returned to their parents. I made certain to distribute the grey flower petals… It holds a sentimental value. The petals represent freedom, innocence, and grace. Traits that many of the Reono lose to time. But in my opinion; innocence was a concept that did not exist on Vilous… You killed to eat, dominate, and protect. It is a chain that shackles you against your ambition. The sooner we lose it, the quicker we become Sergals.

Every guard that tried to face me, I killed with my advanced weaponry. It was too easy… A projectile to the chest, a plasma bolt to the skull, a flurry of laser beams to the enemy. To name only a few tools implanted in my armor. Most guards witnessed this and they too submitted to me. Soon the whole city was following behind me. Giru's honor guard fell into battle positions. Behind their gate of iron. One of the guards, a captain I assume, yelled down to me.

"People of Yoshei, go back to your homes! The great lord Giru has no wish to see you!" He said.

"The true citizens of Yoshoi have grown tired of Giru's oppression! Open the gates and let me through, or I will slaughter every guard that defends this Bastion! Starting with you!" I yelled up to him. He laughed at my statement.

"You are a worm! I would not give you the courtesy of squishing you with my toes…" He continued to monologue. I honestly did not care what he had to say. I looked to Crytus, he was staring through the gate, and something had stolen his attention. I looked through the gate, and a young Sergal female was against the bars starring back at him. She was covered in gold trinkets and white silks.

"Your wife?" I asked him. He turned to me.

"My daughter! The younger of the two! We have to save her, she does not even have hips to give birth yet!" He beseeched me. I grabbed his shoulder, and stared into his eyes.

"Calm yourself. Fear will not serve our purpose." I looked to her. She was in bad shape. But well fed. "Turn your fear into hate. And on my signal, begin to climb the wall. The others will follow you." I said to him.

"What is the signal, Kayne?" He asked me. I grinned.

"You will know." I replied. The guard was still belittling us. "Is all you have to offer us empty threats and hollow words? Look to the masses; they are ready to rip you apart!" I pointed a finger at him. "Do you honestly believe your bastion can resist the population of an entire city?" I said. He spat a wad of phlegm at me. It landed a short distance from my boot.

"These people are low-born! Insignificant! By right they should be grateful Lord Giru lets them infest his city!" The captain said. I started laugh.

"People of Yoshei, who is the infestation here!? The true sons and daughters of the Reono? Or these so-called high born _pigs_!?" The masses scream and yelled in anger. Some banging their spears on the ground. Truly; they were thirsty for Giru's blood.

"You have your answer! This is your last chance, open the gates to me and let us pass, or I promise you will be the first to die!" I said.

"Come at me then! It will be amusing to see you fail!" He replied. Once again, I let my subconscious instincts blend with my logical mind. Everything became a target. Every nerve pushed me to kill. The machines had unlocked some sub-councious instinct in me, and I realized it was the need to kill and dominate that was housed in every sentient creature.

"So be it." I said. I grinned, and a gun protruded from the armor in my wrist-guard. With accuracy that surpassed even a machine, I took aim at my target.

A very loud boom was heard by all. The captain looked down at his chest to see his blood seeping from a perfectly symmetrical wound. His corpse fell over the edge of the wall. He splattered as he hit the ground.

_**"Erase this monument to hypocrisy! Burn it to the ground and kill all that oppose you! UNLEASH HELL!" **_I scream in a voice that was not entirely my own. Crytus and dozens of other Sergals began to climb the wall. Pure rage and an unsationable thirst for retribution in their eyes. The battle for Yoshei had begun.

An entire city of vengeful fathers and bloodthirsty adolescent males scaled the walls of the capital's fortress. Leading was Crytus, who at this point I considered my second in command. There was a zeal to his actions and personality that was rare for an older Sergal; regardless of his age, he was leading the young and reckless around him up the wall. In response, the guards and soldiers of the fortress were throwing short knives, spears, and some even used bows and arrows... but there were simply too many for the guards to fight.

It was a perfect distraction for the secondary assault. My flash training instructed me in the arts of siege warfare, this fortress was a pitiful mockery compared to the fortresses of Lord Vilous or the other forgotten races. Already I had formulated my next route of attack. While the primary force scaled the walls, the secondary force would breach the gates.

As I ran to the closest gate a guard hit my cloak with an arrow. It was like a fly to me; insignificant and annoying. My surpior technology and body made me nearly invincible. My implants and enhancements confirmed that the gate was made of a poorly forged iron, I used my armor's built-in weaponry to melt the locks and with an impressive display of strength I broke the gate from its hinges.

**"Show no mercy!"** I yelled in a voice not entirely my own; my helmet was intentionally distorting my voice to make me sound less like a man and more like a monster. **"Destroy the gates!" **

Those who were not overcome by their need for revenge combined their efforts to rip the gates from the very walls. It took dozens of them to successfully accomplish their task, but their endeavors were rewarded with success. For each gate torn down, hundreds more Sergals flooded the gates like water to a drain.

I partook in the wanton violence, butchering my enemies with brutal swoops from my swords and guns. We had overwhelmed our enemy. The guards were torn apart by my followers, and it pleased me that they were so full of zeal.

In a few leaps I climbed the outer walls, and killed every guard I encountered. Two charged me, I grabbed one of the guard's spears and back handed the other, breaking his neck. I then grabbed the other by his collar and threw him from the wall. His corpse splattered as it hit the masses. I shot down every soldier that I saw.

With a major hole in their defenses, Crytus and the others breached the wall and fought tooth and nail against the guards. I witnessed a young Sergal male rip out the wind pipe of his adversary. I laughed in excitement at his comprehension for violence. **"Hah! Excellent!" **I said to him. He growled excitedly at my complement and returned to the fight. I witnessed Crytus with seven young Sergals, all armed with weapons. **"Have you found your daughter yet, Crytus?" **I asked him. He shook his head in both anger and frustration.

"They have moved their currency into the inner bastion, my lord." He said. An enemy charged him and he responded by hurling a throwing knife into the Sergal, it hit the ground and stopped moving.

**"Impressive…" **I said. At this point many if not all the guards had retreated to the inner bastion, or were dead. **"We'll find her Crytus, you have my word."** I assured him and grabbed his shoulder firmly. He nodded and returned his focus to the battle at hand. I heard him mumble under his breath.

"If they lay a finger on her…" He growled and returned his attention to the battle.

I came to the revelation some time later that taking the outer bastion was not a battle… it was butchery. There were so many of us, and so little of them. It wasn't fair, not in the slightest… I would go as far as to have called it amusing. Like a creature of prey trying to fight a predator.

The suns were touching the red sand, and the blood of our enemies glinted in the light. Adding a shine to the grounds, the iron-like scent an aroma all of its own through my filters. It had the same effect on my followers. Their eyes full of hunger, the dead soldiers were the freshest meat available…

I held up my hand, "**Stifle yourselves, you may eat when the bastion is ours." **I told them. It did not come as a surprise to me that they would attempt cannibalism. Most of them had spent the last two years living off of less than scraps. Then, yet another revelation came to me;

_ Rain… how many of my kind have you had your followers devour? How many have had their flesh torn from their bones by you and your kind? All in the name of your crusade to find the keys, so you have started it… so I will master it!_

I raised my hands to gain their attention. I stood taller than all of them, like a…

Like… a god.

**"Brothers! Let us save our celebrating for after we retake our homes from the tyrant! Let us end this campaign!" **They cheered and hollered. **"They have held your loved ones long enough! We break them, NOW!" **With that, I had re-invigorated their rage and passion. It was time.

**"We shall break the final barrier, and so finally reuniting you with the women you love. I ask only one thing of each and every one of you… that you leave the tyrant for me." **I said with a grin. They all bowed to me. Crytus stepped forward.

"You have earned more than that from all of us, my lord." He covered his right eye. I found that interesting, the followers of Rain Silves cover their left eye…

So my followers would cover their right… how appropriate. **"With me!"** I said and drew my own spear; its advanced design hummed in my grip. Its blade shining green and red as it radiated light.

I charged the only gate left, my followers close behind me. I could not help but smile in excitement at the concept of actually taking a city. I shot plasma rounds into the gate before ramming into it with my shoulder, never losing momentum. In a blood thirsty chorus that heralded the doom of a city we struck again.

The guards had been expecting us, their spears drawn and pointed at us. It was inevitable that some of my followers would be stabbed through… but their sacrifice drove us onward still, reinvigorating our purpose.

I took the spikes head-on. Knowing that they could not pierce my armor. I thrust my spear through a Sergal's torso and lifted him off the ground, throwing his corpse away so I could strike again before I lost more allies. From my wrists protruded chained projectile weapons. Faster than even lasers, and perhaps more deadly then plasma. The sound of their automatic rounds flying true through the guards of Yoshei. Mists and pools of blood covered the ground.

Crytus and his soldiers made a circle around themselves in order to protect each other. Many of the enemies were impaled by his sword; those who hesitated to charge him received throwing knives to the neck or body. Many of my followers mimicked his tactic. Waves and waves of downtrodden Sergals slaughtered the oppressors.

Without hesitation or remorse I killed every living thing in my grasp. My adrenaline pumped through me like a drug, my enhancements encouraging me further, my sight turned red, and the concept of fear was a distant memory. My spear gorged on blood and muscle, its' hybrid laser-plasma-material edge steamed. I spun it around me like a dancer, bringing it around my head in a halo-strike.

Some guards were protecting gates of jeweled brass, Crytus and his followers were laying siege to one. I threw my spear into the air; its sharp tip pierced the lock and opened the gate…

Once again Lord Tepest has given me the opportunity to save my daughter. I felt wind as his spear flew by my head and cut through the lock on the gate. I turned back to look at him. Though I could not see his facial expression, I imagined him smiling. He nodded to me in confirmation. **"Use my spear, Crytus. Save them."** He said. He drew two small weapons he called "heavy pistols" and returned to the fight.

"Let's go." I said to the boys who followed me. I grabbed Kayne's spear, though heavy for me, its weight was reassuring. I would be able to use it. We charged the first guards we came across… there were not many enemies left. Our spears found flesh and one or two of my men were killed. They released their spears and drew short swords. They cut down their unexpecting enemies.

Kayne's spear cut through my enemies with ease. I spun around my body in a defensive fighting style, letting them come to me and striking with precision.

After a brutally short fight, I looked around. We were in an outdoor garden. It was rimmed in white tiles that gleamed orange in the sunset. Pools of clean water ran through it as well. Tables of white marble were everywhere, but that was not what had caught my attention, it was what was chained to them.

Our wives and loved ones were collared like pets. An irrational anger flooded me at this degrading treatment. "Break their chains…" I growled, "Now!" I said harshly, lacking patience and constraint. My allies tried to break the chains but it was to no avail. They simply lacked the strength, the glowing edge of Kayne Tepest's spear caught my eyes; it's shining, hot blade had cut everything it had touched so far…

I placed it against the nearest collection of chains. They seemed to snap as cherry red fragments flew everywhere. I had hardly touched the metal. The female it held stared at me in both confusion and curiosity. Being an ex-guard of the city that was understandable… "Why are you helping me now?" She said begrudgingly.

"I never wanted to work with Giru, _mazira…_" I started. It has been a long time since I had used any formal term of respect. 'Mazira' is our way of acknowledging and respecting our women. "… but it was that or face death. No words can gain my forgiveness, so instead I offer you something." I said to her, she stared at me in suspicion.

"And that is?" She asked impatiently. There was a corpse of a guard nearby, I grabbed his sword and held the hilt out to her. "Revenge. Kill every guard that defies my lord, _our _lord." I said.

"_Our?_ What makes you think I will kneel before him?" She asked.

"None of what we have accomplished today would be possible without Kayne Tepest. He is the Reono incarnate; he wants to end the war with the Shigu! And it is because of him that I am gaining my redemption! I promise you; Giru will die this day, and soon, the shadow of the Tyrant shall fade!" I said to her, and she seemed to believe me.

"How will I know who he is?" She asked me as she accepted the sword.

"You will know him when you see him; he is larger in stature than even the golden-eyed demon of the north." The mention of Rain Silves made her wince. We heard the sound of armored boots; more of the enemy were on their way. "All of you keep them off me while I free our allies! Kill well, sister." I said to her. It did not matter if she liked me or not; we were siblings in purpose now; to regain our city. She scream in rage and lashed out at the guards with my adolescent males in tow.

I quickly went to the task of using my borrowed spear to shatter every female's chain. Each and every one of them grabbed the nearest weapon they could, some with swords, bows, knives; some just used their claws and teeth. Some nodded in respect, others were so angry they did not bother to acknowledge me.

The garden was massive, and there were many to free… I prayed to Vilous that my daughters, and my wife, were somewhere among them… I would give anything to see them safe.

**"Leave no one alive!" **I yelled. The chorus of the Reono rose in volume at the sound of reinforcements; women still wearing their broken shackles had begun appear. There was no hesitation from them. Some of the males under my command embraced the females; mates or siblings then…

I let them be. Perhaps their unity would make them fight harder… A very large Reono Sergal approached me, she was female. Her limbs were brick red while her chest and torso were white, her eyes a dark blue. By her stance, and the blade she held in her hand I could tell she demanded respect from her peers.

"You are Kayne Tepest?" She asked me in a haughty tone. I stifled the urge to kill her for assuming she could think she was above me.

**"I am. I assume you are an alpha amongst the females?"** I said to her. She also stood a whole head taller than most Reono Sergals. She nodded with nobility.

"I have you to thank for freeing me from torment. You solders were quick, and are very loyal to you." She has paid me a compliment… good.

"**I would have it no other way, **_**mazira. **_**Will I have the honor of counting you, and those that follow you, joining me and the sons of Yoshoi?"** I asked. She bowed her head in submission.

"The daughters of Yoshei, and in turn the Reono, are yours to lead. Do not take this privilege lightly." She started. "Only a fool would defy one like you… call me Kie-yoka. My sword is now yours."

**"I will be certain to use it well and keep it in prime condition." **I left her and entered the final ring of the bastion; the temple. My soldiers had done their jobs well, no enemy was left alive and the gate was being held open for me by two males and two females. I walked through proudly…

So many if not almost all of the females were free… but I had yet to even catch the scent of my family. This distressed me greatly for I had seen my youngest daughter only hours ago.

"Crytus!" one of the females who had stayed behind yelled my name. I looked over to her and saw my wife, she was lying on a marble slab, and red crimson stained her perfect snow white fur. I rushed over, despairing. My worst thoughts plaguing my mind. I held her hand in mine and took up her head in my other arm. She was lightly breathing, hers shining red eyes opened only slightly.

"…C…Crytus…" she said very weakly. I was on the verge of tears.

"What did they do to you?" I said as I tried to hold the sorrow back. She grabbed my mane gently and pulled my head closer.

"Our daughters… are what matter now." She said slowly, loose fur fell from her face, not only had she been beaten and cut, but whoever had done this to her had ripped sections of her fur as well. "Ackarie… is in there…" She pointed to another gate that we had overlooked. Now I knew where my youngest was held.

"And what of Hastsumay!?" I asked her desperately. Her pulse was slowing.

"With Giru." She whispered. She started to go.

"No… no please! Just hold on, I can't… I won't lose you. Not again." I could not hold back the tears any longer. I began to cry as she left me.

"It's okay, you found me… you freed me Crytus. You've freed me." Her eyes closed for the last time. I held her head in both my arms, weeping at her passing. I did not know how I could carry on. She was my world… my flower. And now she is gone.

_These emotions will not serve our purpose. Take your fear, your despair, and turn it into hate._

Kayne's words echoed in my mind. I drew his spear and activated the blade. With tear stung eyes, I scream my despair to the suns until my throat felt raw and bloody. Then I scream in both frustration and hatred. The others around me backed away in fear.

I approached the gate where my daughter was being held and cut in half with the blade of the spear. My daughter was in it alone, the sun beating down on her. I went to cut the chains when a very large Sergal landed a few paces between me and my daughter.

He was tall, his fur dark blue and his torso black like the night… a Shigu? What was he doing here? He growled to intimidate me. "This female belongs to me." He said. He held himself in a three point stance, ready to pounce. Shining beads of sapphire drew my eyes. They were roped around a snow-white necklace made from fur.

My mate's fur.

I roared in anger, and recklessly charged my ultimate enemy…

The gate led up to an open courtyard. Guards held their stances, but did not charge. I held up a hand to quell my followers. They showed their resentment by growling, but did as I said.

I was curious; the guards until this point had attacked us on sight, what has changed? I let my helmet retract just enough to expose my muzzle and eyes. My hearing picked up the sound of a carpet being dragged on the ground. A level above me Lord Giru came into view.

"So… we finally meet face to face." I said to him. I had never seen something so disgusting in my whole life; he was so fat that his belly hung before his legs. He could not move under his own strength. So he made his females, four total, drag the ends of his rug for him. In his hands were mounds of fresh meats and red wine. His chest covered in half chewed bits of food that had escaped his gluttonous maw. I wanted to vomit.

He wheezed and sweated in the sun. He finished chewing his food and spoke. "How dare you? You dare to enter my city without my permission, encourage these vermin to rebel, and then enter my home without my permission?" he said to me. I could not keep the astonishment from my face.

"I only let you bask in my presence so that you may look upon one of the chosen of-" My laughing cut him off. This was hysterical to me; that this pompous fool thought he was chosen by divine right. And that he thought he could tell me what to do because of it. He paused in surprise. I tried to control myself, but I decided to keep him waiting.

"You honestly believe that YOU can tell me what to do? I have turned this whole city against you, Giru!" I wiped a bit of saliva from my mouth. "Guards of Yoshei! Here me now; look to your comrades who fight for me, look in their eyes. You see it don't you?" I said as I raised my arms and circled the courtyard so they could see me. "They have regained their honor and pride. They serve me because I am worthy of their loyalty, NOT because his god demands it of you. Let me give you a truth…" I turned and point a finger at Giru.

"Lord Vilous would never let an abomination like THAT rule his cities! Look at him; he keeps all the food and women for himself and his counts and leaves you to suffer! Come; join your brothers and your loved ones! … Or die like all the others who oppose us. Just know... none of you will last a moment." I finished. The guards sheathed their weapons and stood by my side.

Giru shook in anger; a velvet wash cloth wiped his head. "Vilous will see you all die for this betrayal!" He wheezed.

"You know all too well the meaning of that word, don't you Giru!?" I turned around to see the alpha Sergal female walk to my side. Giru's eyes widened.

"Kie-yoka…" He whispered.

My adversary pounced as I charged him. I thrust the spear foreword into his chest, but the Shigu grabbed the spear's aft and pushed it aside with lightening speed. It was followed with a clawed kick to my chest. I felt my blood seep from my pictorial, but I could hardly feel the pain.

He struck with a side-kick that I bobbed and weaved; I jabbed with my spear once again. I could smell his fur burn as I swung the spear against him. He growled and went to bite me with his teeth. Thinking quickly I blocked him with my forearm. His jaw locked on it and I felt his fangs dig into my bones.

I growled in both pain and defiance, I had no choice but to drop my spear, I took one of my clawed fingers, and jabbed it into his eye. He released my arm in anguish. "You will suffer further." I said out loud. His pulped eye bled profusely but he was not done fighting.

"It is not I who will suffer meat!" He replied. He drew his claws, and I my own. We would settle this in the most primal with possible; with the tools nature gave us. We charged each other again, all weapons put aside. He had me for size and strength, but I was faster and more importantly; I had not lived as long as I had through luck. No, I was a master in the arts of combat.

His strikes were wild and reckless, but held momentum. I weaved and dodged them until I could find an opening. When he tried to throw a kick I grabbed his outstretched foot and twisted it against the bone, forcing him to spin lest he wanted the bone to break. He hit the ground but quickly reacted with a sweep. Now I too was on my back.

He jumped on to my chest and began to strangle me, his nails mere hairs from my windpipe. I brought my arms up and crushed his elbows; it did not break his arms but gave the seconds I needed to react. I thrust my hips upwards and forced his body off of me. In a roll I landed on him. I clawed and scratched at his face to try to get his other eye or perhaps an artery…

But youth has its privileges. He roared in anger and threw me off of him. I rolled to my feet and he sprung to his. We started to fight on our feet again. But his rage could not fuel his unfit body like my anger fueled mine. I had a purpose worth fighting for, he was just defending what he thought was his.

He was breathing heavily, while I was only marginally. Before he could react I struck again. Being Reono; I had him for speed, the only true advantage one needs in combat. For every successful blow he landed on me, I landed three. When he was dazed I brought my knee into his groin or stomach. Eventually he started to cough blood, and a tooth fell from his mouth. "Do you want to know who fur you are wearing around your neck?" I said to him. His knees bowed as fatigue took him. "My mate's!" I elbowed the back of his head and he landed splayed out like a corpse on the ground.

"You ravished her body and used her like a toy… and when you were finished with her you had your way with my daughter, didn't you?" He rolled over on to his back, his eyes closed and his chest heaving. I stomped down on his chest and pressed to keep him from breathing. "DIDN'T YOU!?" I yelled. He nodded. "I said you would suffer…"

I grinned with a malice I didn't know I could posses, and slowly pushed my thumb into his other eye. He tried to stop me with shouts and pushing my face away, but he was too weak and I too vengeful to be stopped. When I felt his eye pop in the socket I slowly pulled my thumb away and sampled his blood with my tongue.

"Fresh like newly fallen snow…" I taunted him. He held his face in anguish. I went for the spear, and activated the blade; it hummed with an unquenchable thirst. "You raped both my mate and my daughter… for that there is no punishment too great. I will enjoy making you suffer for what little life you have left." I said between gritted teeth.

Some dormant part of me was awoken in that moment. I took the spear and held the blade against his sides. Letting it burn his skin. He shrimped and tried to claw to safety. "I AM NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET!" I scream. I stabbed the spear through his thigh, so that he couldn't move. He flailed his arms; I grabbed his forearm in my mouth and pulled the bone from the socket. I was not strong enough to remove the limb, but I felt my teeth tear away his muscle and his skin. He held his ruined forearm and scream as his eye sockets wept blood.

"This is the price one pays when they ravage my own kin! This is what lies in store for all Shigu! Kayne will see you all suffer for the crimes you have wrought on the Reono!" I yelled. I held the spear over him, "But you… are mine" I stabbed him repeatedly. Even passed the point of death. I left nothing of him but a cooked mass of meat and shattered bones.

Satisfaction ran over me and my… true self… lay dormant again. Only now had I realized the full extent of my actions. How could anyone be capable of what I had just done… is beyond me. But what is done is done. And no matter how much I try to hide it from myself, it felt right to me. In his pile of burned matter was a key, I dug through his remains and examined it.

I retracted Kayne's spear and holstered its massive form over my back. I looked at my daughter. But she was so afraid that I don't think she knew it was me. "Ackarie, it's me. Your father." I said as I unlocked the collar from her neck. She trembled and scooted away from me, fear in her eyes. "Ackarie… please don't." I begged her. She looked so confused. "He can't hurt you anymore. I promise." I said. "… And I could never hurt my daughter." I said with tear filled eyes. I got on my knees and slowly approached her. She was shaking so much.

"Don't you remember me? I'm your father; Crytus. I came to save you and your sister…" I said. I crawled closer to her and she leaned against me. I held her close to my chest, looking into her red eyes… her mother's eyes. "He can't hurt you anymore. No one will ever hurt you again." I said between sobs. She and I laid there in the chamber; I held my daughter tightly and refused to let her go again. She cried so hard for so long… and I cried too; for the loss of her mother, her treatment, and my failures as her father.

I slowly rocked her back and forth; just like I used to when she and her sister were just babes. Weeping with joy and sorrow.

"You know him personally?" I asked Kie-yoka. She nodded without making eye contact.

"This is the man I was set to marry at birth. He was a coward then, power hungry and manipulative. But even I found it surprising when he shackled me to that damnable table with the others." She explained to me. "Power does such interesting things when given to weak willed individuals."

"So it would seem… Giru! You are defeated. Let the daughters of Yoshoi go." I said to him. He snorted.

"And what makes you think I will do anything you say, worm?" He chortled.

"Let me handle this, Kayne." Kie-yoka said to me. "Girls! As your alpha I am relinquishing whatever excuse for control that… thing has over you! You are free to join us now." She said. The females nodded sagely to her. One walked off happily, two with their noses held high… but the last growled and punched his jaw. He made a noise like a squeal and a tear came to his eye.

"So he's a coward and a weakling?" I shook my head.

"I am in control of this city! You will all do as I say!" He was actually having a tantrum. I leaped up to his level and grabbed his fat neck.

"Shut up before you embarrass yourself further." I growled, I lifted him by his neck and a part of his enormous stomach and threw him over the balcony. The tiles cracked over his enormous girth. He struggled to raise his head.

"Kie, my darling; I am so sorry. Please if you help me I will-"She spat on his face and crossed her arms. All those around her showed their teeth.

"I would kill you myself, my dear." She said sarcastically. "But that rite goes to Kayne." Kie-yoka said. I leapt back down and grabbed him by his neck, slowly and with help, we dragged his body through the city.

"Grab as many corpses as you can carry. All of you! The city is ours!" I said as the Sergals of Yoshoi cheered. Immediately they began to pick up as many corpses as they could carry. I stared onto Giru's eyes, my teeth exposed for him to see. "As for you… it is time you met your fate." He whimpered in fear.

The bastion was left a smoking wreck as the twin suns reflected off its' glass dome.

We burned the corpses of the guards over charcoal fires and metal grills. The people of Yoshei were feasting for the first time in years. I stood on a stage with Giru. I had tied his limbs back against metal posts. His belly dangling against the ground.

The people cheered and screamed as I stepped on the stage. I held up a hand to silence them. "On this day… Yoshoi has been returned to its rightful masters, and we have taken our first step in our road to victory!" The entire city cheered in jubilation. "No longer will you squabble like scavengers over a carcass, no longer will the Shigu rape your lands and family, and no longer will we be faced with extinction!" They began to scream.

"Are there any words you have left for us, Tyrant Giru!?" I yelled. Many of the Reono were booing or cursing at the mention of his name. Shouts of 'Kill him!" or "let us eat him" were very common. He held his head high.

"I only did what I was chosen to do, lead and be followed, like my father, and his father before him!" Someone threw a bone at him. I laughed at his statement, but I was angered that even now, with his city taken from him, that he was still so certain that he right and I was wrong. I grabbed his many chins and forced him to look into my now amber eyes. "Here's a true statement for you, _pig."_ I started.

"Two years ago I let you and your fathers live because of all the nobles, yours was the only one that did not conspire against my family. I see now that you didn't because you were all too cowardly to try." His eyes lit up in surprise. I smiled as his odor changed to one of both shock and fear.

"It can't be… you were exiled to the north!" He said in disbelief.

"And I came back, stronger, and more ambitious than ever. With one grand revelation; I am the predecessor of Vilous!" I said with pride. The people cheering and applauding.

He started to quiver at this revelation. "Please, forgive me Lord! It's just I-"

"Just what!? That because Rain Silves has been laying waste to our homes that it gives you the right to take everything for yourself and let everyone else die!? Pathetic!" I said.

"Please Lord Vilous! Let me redeem-"I punched him hard, hard enough to break his jaw.

"My name is Kayne Tepest! Do not confuse me with my ancestor!" I yelled in anger. He could not reply to me now, which I found to my liking. "The people demand your blood!" I said with zeal.

I drew the blade Rain Silves gifted to me. "_Maziras_, coat him in his alcohol. The females who he kept closest approached him and poured pure alcohol on him, ending with Kie-yoka. Who did not even make eye contact with him. I unsheathed the blade for all to see, their cheering encouraged me on.

With the precision of a doctor, I cut his stomach enough to let his fat drip out all over him, it was mixed with his blood. I wiped my finger across the cut as he scream in pain and sampled it. It was sweet like the wine he gorged on… but also corrupted with other chemicals. "HE WILL TASTE SUBLIME!" I scream at the crowd. Already they were climbing on to the stage, their need to gorge on the tyrant growing.

"Ah, Crytus. I was afraid I had lost you!" I said as I noticed him approaching me. He carried his younger daughter in his arms while the older walked a short distance behind. There was something different about him…

It was how he held himself. Like any and all innocence, or purity, was gone and replaced with something different. No not different I realize; better. "Where is…" I caught myself and assumed the worse. "…she will be remembered." I said instead. He nodded slowly and went to hand me my retracted spear.

"It served me well, my lord." He said.

"Go rest now, my friend. You have had a trying day." I said to dismiss him. The group of adolescents surrounded him and he disappeared. I drew my spear.

"Where were we?" I said. I lightly cut him with it and he was lit in an inferno. His screams were like music to me. I sat in a throne the people made for me and watched as he burned alive. When the fire started to settle the Reono were all over him.

"_Mazira_ Kie-yoka, I must ask a personal favor of you."

"And that is?" She said with curiosity.

"This is a request, not an order. I want you to look after Crytus. He is in a dark place and I need him focused." I said. She looked him over and raised her tail a fraction; a sign that she was hiding her attraction to him.

"I will be certain to keep him in one piece my lord." She replied without emotion.

"L…Lord Tepest?" A young Sergal male approached me and groveled in fear.

"Mmmh?" I said.

"W-we saved one of Giru's hearts for you." He said as he quivered in fear. He held the bleeding organ in both his hands. I stood up and walked towards him. I passed my sons and patted them on their heads, they were feeding on some poor guards arms. I towered over him, he got on one knee in fear. I took the heart and smiled.

"I thank you. What is your name, young one?"

"Gene. My Lord." He replied.

"Rise Gene. I demand your loyalty, not you r pride. Come, sit by me." I said to him as I sat back down. I looked the heart over before taking a bite. I was only lightly cooked, but the blood and fat made it sweet like a candy.

As night descended on us people began to return home. I stayed out to survey the remnants of the city. Gene and Kie-Yoka had stayed with me. "What is our next goal Kayne?" Kie asked.

"Those without energy will rest for the following day. But I need for your best couriers to prepare themselves. We will spread the news of what happened here. Those who acquiesce to my rule will be spared. Those who do not will feel the wrath of the Reono." I said and then took another bite of the heart. Already there was little left of it.

"But, Lord Tepest; we are too few in number to go fully devote to a war with the other Reono…" Gene said. My sons had finished their dinner and sat in my lap, the younger fell asleep immediately as I groomed his mane, the other stared at Kie-Yoka's body.

"You are correct, Gene." But it is not always the quantity of soldiers that wins wars… more often it is the quality." I said.

"What do you mean?" Kie asked. I grinned.

"Come morning… you will know."


	3. Chapter 2

There was too much to do for me to rest. So for the fourth night since my transformation I was active. I was in the temple, my sons sharing the bed that Giru rested in. It dwarfed them in size.

To think that these two boys one day were going to lead entire armies into battle… baptized in the blood of their foes. The older one was shaking in his sleep, the scent of fear wafted from him. Sweat beaded his fur, he was having a nightmare.

I petted his head to try to calm him. "Fight back." I whispered in his ear. His shaking stopped and he seemed to smile. I walked out to the porch that overlooked the city, it was a ruin… but it was my ruin. And soon it would be made something greater.

I sat down on the balcony facing the north. Even here, at the bottom of a crater impact, the moon was shining brightly. My armor brought up many holographic screens; each holding codes, artificial intelligence binary, and maps of the planet. I looked over routes and data.

I opened a link to the vault miles from the city. "Zykote, how many automatons can you send to my position and how quickly?" The image of the machine appeared on another screen.

"Immediately. What kind of units and how many do you need?" He replied without a hint of emotion.

"Renovation, maintenance, construction… send as many as you can spare. The city I have marked in the system as Yoshoi is the destination. Coordinates have been written." I said. The screen folded in on itself and I rested my hands against the back of my head. I had hours before dawn… it was time I go over some of the data in the archives…

_ …Incredible. At first, the data was just zeros and ones. In what seemed like random sequences. But as I let my organic mind relax, and my implants activated they became a new reality. Filled with data from an era long forgotten; there were so many vaults_ _on Vilous… how could that be possible? How could this world be that big?_

_ Some of the data was corrupt unfortunately. I could not see where all the vaults were… but I knew where many of the desert vaults were located. Some it seemed were opened._

_ Tylaxian Raiders. Stalkers and routers, which explained so much; that race had found some of the vaults and was utilizing the technology inside. They would be punished for that. The Ugudner… so old and esoteric, they might be willing to share their secrets with the right motivation…_

_ The Nevreans… They caught my attention. I had run with a few of the females back as a raider. They were tough, aggressive, and had a very unique culture. Their women were the dominant gender while the males were subject to their desires. I am glad there is more equality in our race. Our women are worriers who demand respect. And deserve it. Kie-Yoka is one such example._

_ The data recorded here was accurate. They were a monarchy based around collective of matriarchs. There was a civil war a few years back that drew the whole race in. I fought in its last year as a mercenary. It ended with one of the matriarchs reining as the supreme empress. _

"Lord Kayne…" _A voice said. I pulled my consciousness back into myself._

The codes dissipated as my eyes opened. The lenses over my eyes showed my slight rise in adrenaline to compensate for a lack of sleep, understandable given the circumstances. I popped my neck… I had been holding the same for position for more than an hour. The guard at the door was standing at the entrancing way. I got up from my seat on the balcony.

My sons were still asleep as the sun began to rise over the top of the crater. I smiled as I passed them. The guard waited patiently. "Speak." I said.

"_Mazira _Kie-Yoka is ready to see you. She says that her couriers have been chosen, and that they wait your word." He said.

"Very good. You are dismissed." I said to him. I looked at my boys one more time before leaving the room.

I descended the steps to the courtyard where so much had taken place. Dry, brown blood still coated the ground. The flames of torches lit the yard. Kie-yoka and many Sergals of both genders waited for me. When they saw me they covered their right eyes in submission.

"These are your best?" I asked her. She nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, my lord. Each can run faster than a Nevrean can glide. And are experienced worriers with perfect memories. They will not fail you." She said with pride. I looked at each of them; in turn they held my gaze. I nodded, pleased with what Kie-yoka had offered me.

"There is… one courier who evaded the guards for a year and a half. She fed and protected many of the orphans, including my sons." I started.

"Yes. Your sons were found protecting her after the battle. Why?" Kie asked.

"Where is she now?"

"She is being kept in one of the more complete buildings. We did not think much of her." Kie-yoka's nobility was starting to bleed through.

"Have your subjects move her to the eastern garden so she may see the suns rise. Make sure she is comfortable and has plenty of food." I said to her. "I would ask that she be assigned to this group… but when I first met her, her ankle was broken by a now deceased guard." I explained. Kie nodded.

"Indeed. She was actually the Sergal who I released… she was why I was imprisoned. I admit that she may have been my best… but fate has not favored her it seems." Kie finished.

"Fate let her live. Fate will see her fight again. Well done with your selection, Kie-yoka. Leave the rest to me." I said to her.

She put her arms behind her back. "I will retire to my chambers then. It has been a trying day for us all…" She said as she left. Indeed it had. She had probably spent the night deciding on who she would present to me. Her loyalty would be rewarded.

These couriers were bred to be fast. Even by the standards of the Reono. Their muscles were wiry and their limbs were long. They wore no clothing except for a short cloth over their legs and a small back pack. Their body fur was trimmed closely to their skin to avoid drag from the wind. They surrounded me in a semi circle.

"You are the fastest sons and daughters of Yoshoi. The best this city has to offer. And now the fate of the Reono rests on your shoulders." I started. They stood higher, pride in their stance. "This message must reach the other cities, at any cost. Once there, give it to the cities ruling family, they will accept my right to rule, or they evoke the wrath of the true Reono." I said to them.

"Hear this message and spread it fast…"

_They ran distances in mere hours that would have taken days for anyone else. When they arrived at their cities they described in detail how the capital of Yoshoi fell within hours, its leaders killed, and its militia annihilated. It was then they gave the name and details of the Sergal responsible for starting the atrocity. Only after the story was told were they given my ultimatum;_

"_The Monarchs of the provinces of the Reono will unite together under one rule. We will take the fight to the Shigu, and finally end the war of the clans. No longer will the shadow of Rain Silves and those who follow her reign over us. We will take our place as the rightful rulers of Vilous."_

"_Be warned, to reject this offering is to invoke my wrath."_

_ Many of the rulers accepted an audience with my couriers. Hearing the massages less than half accepted it. Two had the audacity to kill my messengers. I would personally deal with them. _

_ An hour after the couriers left, Zykote arrived with his automatons. The people thought it was a Talaxian raid. I calmed them quickly, encouraging them to move to the temple while Zykote did his works. _

_ The destroyed buildings were ground down and rebuilt with advanced technologies. In their place were massive buildings of iron and steel. All the while walls and defenses were constructed. The process was slow, but in time Yoshoi would be a bastion in a fortress that perhaps was superior to even the structures of the forgotten age. This was my plan for each and every one of the cities of the Reono._

_ The three closest cities to Yoshoi were the first to fall. But as the lords learned through intentional second hand sources it was to an incredibly small force in what the people called "angelic" worriers. Of course they weren't angels; they were my first true soldiers._

_ I had taken my best worriers and sent them to the vault. Where each of them was put through the same gene therapy and mental training I was. They were not quite my size or had my skills… but each was physically a match for the general of the north. With the best weapons and armor available, I sent three thousand to each city, and they exterminated any hostile forces they encountered. The people welcomed them with open arms, finally change had come. My message was spread to them and more followers joined my rule. Many of the families in charge of the cities were gruesomely killed._

_ Zykote and Sayabato were not able to produce supplies and soldiers to meet my demands. And so I left Yoshoi with Crytus and Gene to find the vaults on the maps installed in my armor's systems. It took weeks… even with our enhanced bodies. But it was well worth it in the end._

_ Kasyus, Hotrus, Morteriuos… these were just some of the names of machines we found. The vaults opened to the sample of my blood… the blood of Vilous. They activated immediately and production of weapons, armor, machines, and even fortifications for the cities were under manufacture. Each vault we opened brought us one step closer to our goal… war with the Shigu._

_ By the time I had returned home to Yoshoi; it was a completely different city. With walls that toward and enough armaments to last a year without reinforcements. The Sergals had adapted well to their new lives. Zykote had done the impossible._

_ I was informed that six more cities had fallen. At this rate, the entire province would be ours by the end of the month._

I walked the corridor that led the main temple in the center of the city. The aesthetic value and décor was pleasing to me on some subliminal level, the tapestries blew in the desert wind, and automatons similar to Zykote patrolled the halls. Close by in a garden Sergals were being trained by artificial intelligences. All built in the image of the Sergal. To my surprise those worriers who were not training, were actually painting.

Overhead flying machines zipped by, programmed with coordinates to destinations around the new city, which had expanded exponentially in size. A floating automaton approached me, its eye changed from orange to green. "The additional technologies and production output has been distributed to the cities. I will assume that the mission to the known vaults was successful." It was Zykotes voice.

"Indeed. But many of the vaults lay unprotected still, I wish for you and the other alpha intelligences to begin to fortify and construct defensive systems around more exposed entrances, as well as training halls. Begin to create training programs for the young." I said.

"Of course, Lord Tepest. Shall I begin to redirect all the young to the vaults?" Zykote replied. I shook my head.

"No, only the ones who no longer rely on their guardians; a child needs his family for proper development. I want soldiers with a proper mentality and a reason to fight. If they lack empathy and social skills then the army cannot function properly. Let the parents raise the young until they believe they are ready." Zykote bobbed in confirmation. The green light in the center of the metal flower's body returned to the deep orange. It returned to its original programming.

We entered the courtyard. Where once it was covered in dried blood and broken bodies, now it was beautiful. Water fell from the columns and sprinkled exotic plants. Carpets lined the grounds and flower petals drifted through the air; the fragrance of the grey flowers scenting the area. In the middle a large fountain offered water and respite for the people. In the corners shallow pools were carved so those who felt inclined may bath or swim.

Talking with one of my field marshals was the alpha female of the city; _Mizira_ Kie-yoka. Where she originally wore torn rags and dirty clothes, she now wore dark red and orange robes over a black dress. Her ears adorned jewelry of golden leaves and grey flower petals. With her stood two young females and a well built male; her son and Crytus's daughters. For the first time since our departure, he smiled.

"Kie…" he whispered. She smiled and grabbed him, humming as they embraced one another.

"You are dismissed to see your brothers and father, Gene." I said to my other companion. Gene was young, but held himself with a calm and even cold demeanor. He struck fast and true with his spear, sometimes ending fights with a single move. He had adapted well to his new body and life. He covered his right eye and bowed his head in submission.

"As you say; my savior." He replied and walked away. He had such potential. Crytus spoke with his daughters on our adventure across the desert. I nodded to him and he went to sit on one of the outdoor lounges so he may chat with his daughters.

"This must be your son… who holds the blood of Giru." I said with a hint of malice. He bowed to one knee, his eyes facing downwards in submission.

"He is twice the man the tyrant ever was, Kayne. In fact, you have already measured his worth. You fought him and spared his life when you first arrived in Yoshoi. Or so he tells me." Kie-yoka replied with pride and a bit of disbelief. I looked harder at the Sergal and recognized him immediately.

"Ah, yes of all the guards who attacked me I let you live. I should have guessed that you had been trained by one of the best." I said and held a hand out in Kie-yoka's direction. "Your sword skills are superb, just like your mothers. Tell me, why did your father caste you from his side?" I asked. His fur bristled outward in anger.

"That man is NOT my father." He vented. "When he imprisoned my mother I attacked him. He disowned me and I him, but he could not let me go so easily. Not with my skill set, and so he had me tortured until I swore fealty to him. Brainwashed… I served him until you smashed my head on the ground. It would seem you beat some sense into me that day." He said. His mother chuckled a bit at his remark. I smiled; this boy had just become a man… but had much to learn.

"With a father like yours, you should know you have much to prove; to me, to your mother, and to the Reono. I hope you are prepared to redeem your family's name." I said to him sternly. He growled and raised his eyes to meet mine.

"I will fill rivers with the blood of our foes! I will bleed for this cause! I denounce my father a thousand time and praise my mother, and in turn, her leader! I am your instrument, Lord Kayne Tepest!" he said with zeal.

I exposed my teeth with a smile, Pleased with his vow. "I will hold you to that, boy. Give me your name."

"Motzu." He replied.

"The path to redemption is long. You will need a new name, one that suits you. Keep your old name as a reminder of your past, so that you may never forget who you were. But as long as you serve me you will be known as Regashi. Now rise and be known." I said and motioned for him to rise with my hand. He did as he was told. I looked into his eyes and saw a rare blood lust in him, one that came from a betrayal from a parent. He would be a menace to the Shigu.

"Go and train with the others of your age. Soon, you will make a pilgrimage to the vaults, where you and your fellow young Sergals will ascend to be true Reono, just as Gene, Kie-yoka, Crytus, and my three legions have. Prepare, young one." He covered his right eye and held his chest out with pride. He left the temple and disappeared from my sight.

"Thank you, Lord Tepest. Motzu is deeply conflicted by his father's deeds. I have done what I could… but the boy needs a father he can idolize." She said with a hint of sorrow. As much as she tried to hide it; her mate's betrayal had hurt her deeply. I looked to Crytus, who was grooming his daughters.

"He has a true father now. Crytus has raised many, and will raise another." I started and chuckled. "You and he seem to have developed quite the relationship." I observed.

"What was broken and bleeding has been repaired and made whole. He completes me Kayne. I wish I had met him sooner." She said sagely. The field marshal approached us.

"Lord Kayne, I hate to interrupt, but generals and kings from the province of 'Kife-schauss' have requested an audience with you." He said. While I did not have the honor to see him fight, I was made aware of his accomplishments directly; he led a rebellion in one of the three original cities the Reono conquered. When I arrived near the end of the battle with reinforcements from a nearby vault he swore allegiance. I gave him control of one of the three legions. He called them the 'Tempest Angels'.

"Did they say what they wanted, Kusatsu?" I asked him. Kusatsu was old, his fur a faded gold and red. His eyes hazel, he always looked tired. A sign that he had seen a lot of people die in his time. He was large due to gene therapy. He held himself with pride.

"They want to join our ranks." He said with a smile.

Kife-schauss… one of the largest provinces of the Reono clans, it was bordered by our province; Tai-Jopon, and one of the oceans. One would believe that of all the provinces, Kife-schauss would be one of the more prosperous.

But where there are more resources, there is more war. Kife-schuss was constantly bombarded with raids from all around; rival Reono, Shigu, Raiders, and even at times they were attacked by an aquatic race. But reports were scattered and limited at best. Some went as far as to claim that the aquatic race was not a race at all, that they were actually the ghosts of ancient people who believe they still fight in a war. That of course was preposterous. These aquatic creatures had been seen living in the province of the 'Gold Ring'. They simply fought their wars differently.

The people were forced to adapt to their belligerent neighbors. And so a fascist-socialist regime was founded, where only the most capable of worriers (usually generals) were chosen to lead the cities that lined the rivers and the ocean front. In Kife-schauss, you were trained to be a worrier from a young age, and they spent large quantities of currency for whatever technology they could afford.

Even then, they were generally a social province. They were willing to trade resources for recourses, or at times train freelancers to fight in wars for the other provinces or races in order to bring in more currency.

The fact that generals had sent envoys to speak with me was a surprise. I had expected to spend the next few months conquering them. But if they wanted to join forces… it changed things significantly. With the provinces of Tai-Jopon and Kife-Schauss working together the entirety of the Reono provinces would not last the year.

I felt excitement in me; this meant that our revenge on the Shigu, and mine on Rain Silves, was coming ever closer.

Kusatsu led us to a round room recently built by the construction drones. It was made of smooth rocks, and its floor was comprised of carpets and shining tiles. The technology used to make this had not been seen in centuries. When we entered the room, the leaders of the cities stood and held their hands over their hearts; a universal sign of respect between species.

I was surprised to see that it was not envoys that were sent, the actual leaders of Kife-schauss had left their cities to speak with me.

"Generals, lords, kings of Kife-schauss, you honor me by seeing to this matter yourself." I started. I took a seat in one of the chairs; the others took their seats after me. There were fifteen total monarchs. Each adorned in robes that held the colors of their cities. I knew that there were more than eighty total cities in Kife-schauss alone, but they each swore fealty to the monarch of one of the larger cities. It allowed for recourses to be distributed more quickly, and kept the balance of power in favor of the fifteen monarchs. "It has come to my attention through one of my general's that you wish to join us?"

Each of the monarchs's held themselves with pride; they were old. But they had an air to them that said they knew what was best for their people. One of the oldest of the monarchs spoke first. "Indeed. It has come to our attention from witnesses to your… conquest that you have access to technologies beyond even that of the Ugudner." He started, "We want to know where you found it, first and foremost." The monarch finished. His fur was a dark grey, and he had a white mustache that he let grow down to his chest. He squinted his eyes, and spoke slowly.

"What is your name, Lord Monarch?" I said with respect. I should have guessed they wanted something in return for their loyalty.

"Kashikoi. General Kashikoi." He replied. I knew the name. This Sergal was in his late fifties. And was as merciless as he was wise, he had lived as long as he had because he was undefeatable… or so the legend goes. To the Reono, he was a walking legend. Some went as far as to say he fought Rain Silves, and lived to tell the tale.

"Then we should all feel so honored to have a legendary worrier in our presence." I said respectfully. "To answer your question; general, I found it. I came across a vault from the days of the ancient Agodona, and opened it with my blood. After a short explanation from its inhabitants, the machines you must have seen when you entered the city, the technology was given to me as a birthright from my ancestor; Vilous." I replied. The other generals began to whisper to one another.

"Then the rumors are true." One of them said. "You are Vilous incarnate." I nodded in response. One of the monarchs stood up.

"Hah!" He said. "What proof do you have that you are the heir to Vilous? Your armor could have been made by one of the Ugudner! Show us you are not a fraud!" He said. I remained calm. But my guards were growling and showing their teeth. I held up a hand to silence them.

All the technology in the temple was state of the art. The tables were installed with software that could bring up holograms.

I placed my armored hand on the table, and felt it hum under my touch. I saw thousands of orange lines pulse from my hand as the table copied the data in my armor's memory banks. They pulsed like the blood in my veins. After a moment floating screens appeared over the tables. They showed pictures of the vaults. Machines of war, armor, weapons, Sayabato and his sub-programs, it was all visible.

The monarchs were awed by the machines in front of them. But I was not done. "Zykote." I said to summon him. He possessed a machine, again its light turned green.

"Yes, Lord Tepest?" He said with more curtsey than usual.

"Show our guests the curtsey that all nobles are entitled to." I said more for dramatic effect than anything. The drone bobbed in what I interpreted as excitement. "Please be patient, monarchs." I said with respect. A few minutes later fifteen drones flew in carrying giant meals. Each gently cooked. They were laid before the monarchs.

They hesitated, and I laughed a bit at them. "If I wanted to kill you I would not go to all this trouble. Believe me; I would have been more… direct." I said. Assured, they began to eat. It was probably the best meal they had ever eaten.

I waited patiently for them. Some were looking over the pictures of the vaults; others were gorging themselves on meat and fruits. "I suppose it is time we speak about the benefits of our unity…" I started. I hated this. I remember from my flash training that many races used it as a means to settle disputes without bloodshed… it was called politics.

Kashikoi was the first to speak, "The Reono of the province have heard rumors of Tai-jopon being conquered. Of course we had to look into this… when we discovered that every rumor was indeed true, we decided we could either end the threat, or join forces. Now, if I may speak for the monarchs, we are not sure that we can go to war with you. Your forces grow stronger every day, and you posses technology we have never seen before. So I find myself asking on behalf of all of Kife-schauss; does Tai-jopon help its allies in their time of need, or will it let the whole burn around it?" He said.

"You are thinking in terms of a province with another province. I do not see this, to me, there is only the Reono. We must all put aside this pathetic struggle for independence, and fight together. Your province's success is proof enough that I speak the truth. More than eighty cities coming under the rule of fifteen for the sake of all... THAT is true success. Imagine what we could accomplish; the entirety of the Reono… fighting together. With my technology and your soldiers, we could conquer the whole Reono and finally defeat the Shigu in our age old struggle." I said. Many of the monarchs nodded and made sounds of approval. Even Kashikoi seemed pleased with my response.

"Has it occurred to you, Kayne Tepest, that perhaps we don't want to fight the Shigu?" A new voice said. "They have avoided our province so far, why would we attack them now?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Rain Silves has left your province alone only because there are weaker enemies to go after. Her mentality is to attack the provinces that are desperate, giving her the edge. But when all the provinces are decimated, who will be left alone with Rain Silves on one end, and an ocean on the other?" I let my question hang in the air so that the generals would come to their own conclusions.

One general stood up, and approached me, my first reaction was that he meant to attack me, I felt my blood lust come back… but instead he pulled his ears back, a sign that he meant me no harm. I stifled myself, and rose myself.

"Lord Kayne, I must personally thank you for the meal and your hospitality. We have never encountered such generosity before." He started, "Which is why we hesitate to call you and your province allies." He said. My eyes started to turn amber again; this monarch was beginning to infuriate me. "We need proof that you can be trusted. More than just gifts and words."

"You need deeds." I replied. "What did you have in mind?"

The general's face seem to darken, I could smell anger and spite. "There city-state of Mai-zekade has been selling information about our province to the Shigu, and the Talaxians. We want you to burn their city to the ground." He said.

"Why not do it yourself? You have both the recourses and the manpower… why hesitate?" I said with suspicion. Mai-zekade was a massive city state. It was loyal to no one but its ruling families, and was notorious for instigating raids and attacks against larger provinces. "Because of them we have been forced to the breaking point. If this continues… our province will fall."

Now I understood why they had chosen to see me. They had an empire that was on the verge of collapse, and needed help saving it. It was to both our benefit that the city would fall.

My eyes were now a full amber and orange. "Give me all the information you can about Mai-zekade. And you have my word it will burn to the ground."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The scout sprinted towards the cliff with the silence of the night, careful not to ruffle the ground. His cloak hardly seemed to bellow, just as he hardly seemed to breathe. Without shifting the foliage of the land he paused, and keeled low to the ground.

"Syra…" He whispered almost incoherently. Even the chirping bugs of the night were loud next to him. To his left, the ground ruffled in disturbance, a helmetless female had appeared as if from the shadows.

"Yes, Meugen?" She whispered back. Her ice blue eyes gently reflecting the rays of the blue moon; an excellent omen of prosperity. Next to Meugen she was tiny, like a child next to a massive adult. She was of the province of Kife-Schauss and Meugen was aware that for his province to tie with hers, this plan needed to go smoothly, he spoke to her with a soft voice in attempt not to anger her.

"The last patrols of the night have returned behind their walls. You were right; they are unaware of us." Meugen said with pride in his voice.

"You expected less from the best scouts of Kife-Schauss?" Syra accused smugly. Meugen could not hide the surprise form his face.

"Well no I-" He began before she interrupted him.

"Armor and machines are not everything. Perhaps when you mature you will learn that." She scolded him. He could not help letting a small growl leave his lips. But he stifled himself, his new body was proving a bit aggressive for him to control at times.

"My apologies… _Mazira._ It's just a surprise to me how efficiently you and the others have done this. And… it is my first time on a scout mission. The last time I saw combat I was busy ripping my enemies throat from his neck."

She had noticed him recognizing her as his senior and her mood lightened. She took out a pair of rusty binoculars and stoically looked at him. "Come, lay on your belly with me and let me show you how to fight in the shadows, unseen by your enemies." Syra said. Meugen acquiesced to her invitation and laid himself on the ground. He was curious, excited to learn a new form of fighting; a sensation he would have rejected before his transformation.

"Remove your helmet." Meugan looked at her, perplexed.

"My head will be exposed to enemy fire if I do that." He replied. She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"What enemies? For all your so called education, you lack wisdom. I am your elder, now trust me and remove your helmet." She said sternly to him. Meugen felt the cold of the night touch his nose as his helmet retracted from his face. His nearly perfect eyesight adjusted to the dark. "Now take a deep breath and let the wind share with you the scents of the land."

To Meugen it smelled of grass and trees. This land was arid and dry, but the ground was green and moist with the feeling of a midnight due. He was amazed at the difference it made.

"See? A helmet stops you from really seeing the world as it was meant to be seen by us. As a scout, you need to have a bond with the earth around you. Take that to heart." She said. Meugen's hearing could pick up the sounds of clanking doors over the soft wind. He looked back at the massive city-state.

"Does your lord know how he wants to proceed?" She said as she brought the binoculars to her eyes.

"I know he does… But he keeps his plans to himself. He will tell us what he plans in time, depending on how the enemy acts." Meugen said with pride.

"You put a lot of faith in your Lord…" She started, there were hints of doubt in her voice.

"Once you have fought by the savior's side, you will understand why. He will lead us to victory against this city, and our provinces will be merged. Then you will have a body like mine, and I will be able to place myself under your tutelage."

"You're naïve, cub. You have the body of a god but the mind of a child; a sign of your immaturity and arrogance." Meugen was quickly tiring of her attitude towards him.

"What's your point? I could kill a hundred enemies before you even draw your weapon. What right do you have to lecture me on where I put my faith?" Meugan said and raised his voice slightly. Syra did not seem fazed.

"My point…" she said as she turned to him, "Is that you are blinded by your idol. You think you are invincible, and that you **need** to respect him. And you bask in self-titled nobility that you have yet to earn." She said as Meugen breathing increased, it was becoming very hard for him to control himself… "I like you more when you are angry. It is who you really are." She said.

He paused then; she was confusing him with all of these insults and compliments. She picked up on it and her tone changed to that of a stern mother lecturing her son, "Someone should have to earn your respect. And Kayne has yet to earn mine, as I should have yet to earn yours."

Meugen was silent, unsure of how to respond. "I…"

"You should rely on yourself first. Then in your fellow worriers, then in your savior. If Kayne is as powerful as you claim he is than he will prove he can lead the Reono to salvation. Until then, I will remain reluctant to call him anything other than his first name." She said to him. The bugs had stopped chirping as I realized the moon had been covered by a cloud.

"I think I understand your position. And I will take your wisdom about respect to heart. But I must affirm that Kayne Tepest has my respect because he did earn it. He took spears full to the body so that less of us may die. He encouraged me to keep fighting hard as we took back our home. And he has given me hope. A hope I have not known since before I-" Meugen choked. Not sure he could continue.

"Speak up, cub. If you stop now I will cease to care. Say what needs to be said."

"Before I lost my mother and father. My father was hung by his neck and I was forced to watch as his body was paraded before me. I shudder to think of what the Shigu did to my mother." Meugen finished with a heavy heart.

"How do you know the Shigu took your mother?" Syra asked as if she was only half paying attention.

"Giru sold her when she killed the count that owned her. She was protecting me from his knives. The things they said they were going to do to her will haunt me until the day I die." Meugen jerked a tear from his eye, his anger returning as his eyes turned orange.

"Kayne has taken the lives of the counts responsible for her enslavement, and my father's unfair death. And he has promised war with the Shigu. I could not ask for a better chance to take revenge." Meugen finished with zeal.

"Perhaps Kayne will deliver you to bloodlust then. If that is the path you wish to take." Syra said.

A few hours passed by, the moon was closer to the mountains now, but very little had changed from the city-state. A few small caravans came and went, but no real activity could be found. Meugan decided he would wait out the night with Syra and her wisdom. Perhaps he would learn more from her… he decided to ask her questions when the time seemed right.

"Syra… have you ever wanted to kill someone? I mean… like me; no one in general just… everyone that you feel has wronged you. Have you ever taken the path of bloodlust.?" She sighed and looked at the ground. She took up some dead leaves and tore at their edges as she spoke.

"The question you ask cub is a very personal one. But I see that you will not leave such things in the past. You have given me your story, I suppose I should give you mine." She started.

"From the moment I could defend myself both my mother and father would attack me in order to train how to fight, and so my hate was born young, and I mastered it before I could carry children, an invaluable lesson. I killed my first when I grew to the age I could mate; a fellow Reono Sergal who I had rejected countless times. He had had enough and tried to take my pride through sex, and so I took his life. Hm… In a way, I suppose he did steal my innocence in the end. After that I lost my mother to a Shigu raid. And then my father to the race of the sea, my hate only grew and grew, and so I learned to blend with the shadows. Killing without being seen, and moving without being heard. I have spilled a lot of blood in my time, and I will spill much more before I lay down my knives." She finished.

"Then… we have some things in common. Do you have any children?" He asked her.

"Two daughters and a son; all old enough to be worriers in their own right."

"Where are they now?"

"In Kife-Schauss. Defending the city I was born in. I am proud to say they are bloodied and strong. I could not ask for better hairs to my legacy." She said with pride.

Meugan shifted a bit, he was uneasy. A question was forming on his tongue that he had difficulty asking. "Syra…"

"What? Speak with confidence cub. Or you will never be worthy of being a worrier."

"Can you train me in the ways of the shadows? I want to move with the darkness and kill my enemies before they even see me. Like you claim." Meugan said a bit shakily. He did not know why, but Syra made him nervous. She smiled for the first time that night.

"What do you think I have been doing for the last few hours, Meugen?" She said. Using his name to show a fraction of respect.

"Then I will remain vigilante, _Mazira _Syra." He put the lenses of his helmet over his eyes again, looking for anything that could be considered unusual. But Syra had beaten him again.

"Look in that tower; a tall man in armor is speaking to a robed noble…"

"But who is the taller one? He looks almost… no. That can't be." Meugen said and trailed off.

"What is it? What do you see?"

"He's Shigu. Look at the armor; the shoulders point out, and the shin guards rise over the knee."

"And so it is. Mai-Zekade is dealing with the enemy. This explains much." She said with calm.

"It is an outrage. And it explains how they have been such a menace to your province."

The two scouts both saw the two men shake hands, and the Shigu walked to another chamber. Meugen saw more Shigu worriers therein. He bared his teeth.

"There housing our mortal enemy. There traitors to their own people!" Meugen said with rage.

"Not all of them. Remember that some of our own came from that city. There repressive, and know nothing of their leader. Perhaps they will revolt when we come to destroy the city." Syra said. For the next few minutes the two lay in silence, the only sound was the wind as it ruffled their fur. Meugen licked his lips, and spoke.

"I beleive we may have found something of importance. When to sun begins to rise, I will contact my lord. Until then I will remain vigilante for more threats the enemy could posses."

"That would be wise, cub." Syra replied.

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Meugen followed through with his promise. When the first of the two suns began to rise over the valleys, he contacted his Lord over his communicator. "Lord Tepest" He started, a moment later the image of Kayne appeared in the lenses of his eyes. He was polishing a weapon with a long barrel, and seemed to be leaning against the trunk of a tree.

"Have you found something?" He replied in his heavy, rumbling voice.

"We have. The two of us have discovered that the monarch of this city is housing Shigu. They are in the city walls now."

"And the caravans? What do they carry?" Kayne asked. He seemed too calm for Meugen's liking.

"We have… not been watching them as vigilantly." He replied with a bit of hesitance. Kayne nodded, as if he expected that answer.

"I have gotten similar reports from two of the other scouting parties. Kife-Schauss was right to request our aid. Who was it to spot this first?" He asked. The question threw Meugen off a bit.

"It was Syra who saw the Shigu first, I confirmed it, and saw even more soon after."

"Then she is to be commended. Tell her she has my respect, and my appreciation. Hold your positions, and keep an eye on those caravans moving to and from the city; I want to know what they are trading." Kayne cut the link. Meugen found himself interested in Kayne's reply… he respected her now?

"Kayne gives his gratitude and respect to you." He said. Syra did not seem surprised.

"He's smart. Among other things." She replied.

"He wants us to concentrate on the caravans running to and from the city."

She made a 'tsk'-ing noise and brought her binoculars back out. "You watch the caravans. You have your own scope, do you not?"

Meugen had nearly forgotten about his own weapons. He reached to his back, and grabbed the scope of his sniper. It fitted over the lenses of his helmet's eye piece, and had zoom, spectrums, night vision, and could be attached to almost any weapon in his arsenal. All this, and it matched the colors of the ground. He brought it to his eye, and turned it over to 'thermal'. Immediately he spotted an anomaly as something in the caravans was giving off colors of red and yellow.

"They must be smuggling people in and out of the cities via wagon." He said to her.

"I thought that might be the case, how else would the Shigu have gained a massive force so quickly without anyone knowing?" Syra replied.

"There's more, people seem to be leaving as well…" Meugen trailed off. Syra eyes brightened; she wanted to see what the young Sergal would conclude.

"Now make an assumption; why would they be smuggling people out of the city, cub?" Syra prodded him, making him think of an answer.

"I don't want to say it, but I can only come to one conclusion; slaves. There sending the ones who resist their leader's rule to die at the hands of the Shigu… or worse."

Syra was silent. And they were like this until the twin suns rose over the valley.

"This is sickening! We should stop them now; kill the slavers before more people die!"

"And what do you propose? That we give ourselves away so that you can fulfill some selfish quest?" Syra chided him. But he ignored her.

"Lord Kayne, I have an update. They're getting the enemy in through the caravans, and sending slaves out!" The line was silent for a moment before he replied.

"Then we have all the confirmation we need. Mai-Zekade is cooperating with Rain Silves and the Shigu. Any who resist us will die." Kayne replied.

"Lord Tepest, I volunteer to lead a team to free those slaves."

"You will do no such thing, Meugen. The slaves are not your concern."

"But my Lord-!"

"You have your orders! Leave the slaves to me, and focus on what you were assigned to do! ... The slaves are being handled as we speak. I have a plan to save them from their fate, young one. But I can't have you or anyone else risking our detection. Remained disciplined, and trust me." Kayne said sternly and softly to the young Sergal.

"I… I do trust you, Kayne. I just can't see more people die because we choose inaction." Meugen said, controlling his anger.

"This is for a greater cause, young one. Those who can be saved will. My machines are liberating the caravans as we speak. And in a way that is far cleaner than what you are used to. You are needed here, so put these unnecessary thoughts from your head, and focus on your duty." Kayne finished.

"As you say, my Savior. I am sorry for my outburst."

"You have a youthful fire to you, which is nothing to be sorry for. Now prepare yourself, we will strike soon."

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"… I understand, Lord Tepest. We will wait your word." Meugen replied. I cut the link and turned my attention back to Mai-Zekade. It was an ugly city, covered in walls and torches, and overflowing with secrets. No one had ever met the ruler or rulers, or better yet, those who had were killed. And it was at least four times the size of old Yoshoi. Now it was only twice the size; regardless, it was overcrowded with denizens who squermed over one another for water and table scraps. Those who were the strongest were indoctrinated into the army.

At least that was what the Monarchs had told me. What little information they could give was relinquished; every detail and piece was painstakingly laid out for me and my generals. Mai-Zekade was built on top of a naturally occurring well that supplied the cities' rulers with fresh water… Or so I had been told.

"Sayabato, Zykote, are there vaults in this area?" I asked over a private link. Something did not seem right; to feed a city you needed fertile land. They did not have that here; the soil was course to the touch and the grass killed what the trees did not.

"The maps are showing that there is not. But I believe otherwise." It was Sayabato who answered me this time. "I remember that area of the planet well, and I know that an underground vault existed somewhere there. I will contact the overseers that are active on the inside."

"How many functions can you perform at the same time?" I asked him.

"Depends, what did you have in mind for me?" He asked. Of the two programs, I had not found much of a purpose for Sayabato, which seemed unfair to me. Of the two machines he was better suited for combat. It was time I tested his capabilities.

"It has been confirmed that Mai-Zekade is trafficking slaves to our enemies. I want you to intercept the convoys and commandeer their cargo."

"Seems a little easy, Kayne. What's the catch?" Sayabato said. I was glad he had calculated that I was not finished.

"I need it done with speed and silence. And I need you to hide the evidence that you were there. Do it quietly, and keep the slaves alive AND quiet. Do what is necessary. Bring them back to the vaults."

"You just made my day Kayne. It's been too long since I killed a meat-bag. You won't even know I was there." Sayabato said with dark enthusiasm. The artificial sentient was proving more and more interesting to me.

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"You are free to use whatever methods you see fit." Kayne said. His face disappeared from the screen and was replaced with binary. I walked over to the edge of the room I was standing in and looked over the side. Children were training with machines, firing weapons, thrusting swords, wearing cumbersome pads and weights...

Memories of the forgotten age flashed in my sight, this is how it was done then, with Villous in the front lines leading his soldiers to victory. Bombs and destruction surrounding us, I savored my kills. No machine or organic could stand before us. And with Kayne leading these children, that age will be reborn. And I would be there to Sheppard the young and ignorant to their destinies as the worriers of the stars. There was an empire to reclaim.

I took one step and let my metallic body fall, spinning and flipping through the air, faster and faster until physics denied me my ecstasy of the fall. I slammed into the ground with grace, landing on my feet. The children stopped their training to stare at me.

"Keep fighting and working like you are one day you will have this power too!" I said. A fire was relit in their eyes as they went back to what they were doing. I walked past them to my arming pod, activating a few other robotic bodies and summoning other Overseers.

"Kaits! Louros! Athens! Meriak! We have a mission to accomplish!" The other overseers appeared and approached me. To an organic we would all look the same; ebony black fur and white chests. It didn't matter to us; our eyes told us all we needed to know of one another. "Armor up, Lord Tepest wants a convoy taken out…" I gave the rest of the details to them in binary.

They were all excited like me. We were finally going to return to our programming; the art of murder. We made our way to a special chamber, where we could teleport to another place in moments. I spoke in binary to the programs, activating the machine.

The portal revved as massive amounts of electricity were sent through the system, I could feel the heat as plasma took form, and then a loud _clash_ was heard as more complex sciences were taking place. A portal of warped atoms and anti-matter took form. My team of machines sprinted into the unstable anomaly, and instantly we were falling through the clouds of Villous.

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The circuits that made up my nerves allowed me to feel my momentum change from running, to falling. And it brought me joy. My black cloak, covered in symbols that matched the perfect symmetry of the machine, flapped all around me as I and my fellow overseers fell. Ever accelerating and gaining velocity.

I sent electricity threw my cloak and the fibers hardened. My cloak had transformed, now they were my wings like that of a flying creature. I curled then around my body, and let myself spin. If I were made of flesh and bone, I would very likely have lost consciousness to dizziness; yet another advantage of being born of steel.

As we approached the ground I could see the caravans, Kayne's coordinates were spot on. We did not need parachutes or inertia dampeners, we were built for this. I would be the first to land; my targets; three flesh bags and a steed.

I used the middle one as a cushion, my weight and momentum flattened him.

My first kill.

Before either could react I grabbed the one on my left by the front of his neck, and punched his ribs until both his hearts were punctured by his brittle bones. A slow, painful death, but one without blood.

My second kill.

I turned to my right and grabbed the third by his neck. In nano-seconds I scanned his body, he was well made for being so devolved, and was of the same breed as Kayne Tepest… a 'Reono' as they were called.

"Weak…" I said in binary as my wrist turned into a tool, a sharp pointed surgical weapon. It extended between the eye and its socket; lobotomizing the target while electrifying the cerebral cortex. I pulled it out and a small portion of steaming blood went with it. It landed on me. Oh how it brought back memories…

The whole action took me exactly 4.983 seconds. It was like I hadn't missed a day. This was my third and final kill.

The other overseers faired the same. Killing their targets quickly and with as little actual blood loss as possible, one body under my programming was shot by an Ugunder weapon, the single round splashed against its' shield harmlessly. His attacker did not survive the response to fire again.

We opened up the storage compartments of the caravans, Kayne's scouts were correct, people had been piled on top of one another like they were already corpses. They scream at us through their bound mouths. As a machine I could not understand fear… but as an artificial sentient I could comprehend the emotion. To be in the hands of death, only to later be starring it in the eyes… it must be incredible.

We grabbed them by their legs, shoulders, arms, whatever was most convenient. One tried to hobble away, but Meriak intercepted him. He put him over his shoulder, and gently placed him back with the others. "Stay where you are, AND CEASE YOUR SCREAMING!" He yelled at them in order to silence through obedience and fear.

_"How can Lord Tepest claim that these sub-Sergals are worthy of joining us, look at them! They are pathetic and weak!" _He said in binary to me.

_"When we educate them, and unlock their repressed genes, they will see the light. Just as Kayne has." _I replied. To an untrained organic, binary sounded a bit like mechanical buzzing, it brought confused glances to the survivor's eyes. I looked them over and they stared back at me, they all had fear secreting in their scents… but what surprised me was their defiance. One caught my eye, and he refused to look away. I took the gag out of his mouth and stared at him, my emerald eyes making him seem to radiate green.

"Do what you will, abomination. Just know you will die, any who dare to attack a true Reono will suffer to the desert reborn!" He said to me. I tilted my head and spoke in his language.

"The desert reborn? What is that, another pathetic organic religion?" I said to taunt him. He growled.

"Hah!" He began, "The Desert Reborn is a man among men! He is the Reono incarnate, and will usher in a new age of prosperity! He singly handedly united a city, and his angels conquered a province! Any true Reono has already sworn their allegiance to him! AND HE WILL BRING RETRIBUTION TO THE NORTH!" He yelled at me, bits of spittle landing in my eyes as he squirmed. I could not help but laugh. To think our influence had already spread this far…

_ "_And… pray tell, you know the name of this man?"I asked him.

"He is Kayne Tepest, and he will unite the southern clans!_"_ He yelled.

"Foolish little Sergal… who do you think I serve?" I said as I tightened the rag around him mouth again. The look in his eyes showed how shocked he was. "All will be revealed in time." I said to him. I changed back to binary.

"_Zykote, the first batch is ready. Teleport them and unbound them at your leisure. Just don't let any escape._" I chided the other overseer.

"_Location confirmed. Initiating matter transfer now…_" He began in his monotone voice.

"_Take the debris with you. Just burn the carriages and the corpses. We won't be needed them."_

_ "I shall keep what seems necessary and dispose of the rest". _He responded. Flickers of orange and gold flashed as the debris and bodies disappeared into thin air.

The rest of us sprinted for the cover of the trees and hills, ready to strike again at the next passing caravans. I contacted the other vault overseers in order to warn them about caravans carrying personnel across the land to cities. With any luck, one of these caravans would carry a map… we could always just interrogate one of the survivors but that took time. Either way, we were going to capture as many of those slaves as we could, and turn them into worriers.

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The suns had reached the zenith of day, and it beat down on me as I sat in the tree. I put my washing rag in a leather bag I had fashioned before leaving Yoshoi. I kept trivial things like rags, trinkets, and gems I had found in it.

My weapon, even in its' camouflaged shell, was cleaned and in perfect condition. I opened the chamber to inspect the round inside; it was large for a self-propelled bullet, and sharp. It would fire with an invisible laser that would incinerate flesh. While the bullet mashed the body, the ray would burn the surrounding tissue into ash, making even a glancing round lethal. One could not ask for a better sniper rifle.

For some reason I had yet to understand, I had named it. I knew that it was a cultural habit from the forgotten age; Sergals, Nevreans, humans… we all liked to name our guns. Perhaps we felt it gave us a bond to them. It was a weapon, nothing more. But then again, it was MY weapon.

And so I had named her _Leah. _Like the illusive Nevrean I laid with for a time as a raider. There was something to her that I found tempting, perhaps it was her confidence or how illusive she was. And she could throw a punch like no one I had met before, like this weapon. It fit well enough.

"Forces of the true Reono, ready your weapons. It is time." I knew that all three hundred scouts that surrounded the city heard my message, I could feel my armor react to theirs. All of our snipers were aimed at targets; the guards around the city.

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"Finally." Meugen said as he re-attached the scope to his own sniper. Syra brought out a long range rifle that the Tai-Jopon Reono had gifted to her. They both heard a gentle hum as the weapons advanced systems were warmed up. Meugen aimed at a patrolling guard. His armor helping steady his aim. He held the sight right between his target's eyes…

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"Fire." I said and pulled the trigger. Even with my helmet the weapon was loud. But there was no flash thanks to a suppresser the machines had installed onto the barrel. Hundreds of guards died in moments.

An alarm was heard from the city as mortars were fired all around the barricades. It was amusing considering my forces were too far away for that to be effective. I grinned as a laugh left my lips.

"Taunt them." I said and the scouts shot at the walls, the mortars, and whoever they could find. After only a few minutes a huge build up of static electricity was detected.

"Cease fire." Seconds later everything was silent as a massive bubble enveloped the city.

"My Lord, is that a barrier system?" Someone asked me.

"Yes. A hybrid of Ugunder and Agadona make. That city does not have the capabilities to power that kind of tech. There is a vault underneath it." With my suspicions confirmed, it seemed logical that they were preparing for another attack.

But even now, I knew EXACTLY what I needed to do in order to take this city.

"New orders are in…" I started as I explained what I had in mind for the city-state of Mai-Zekade.

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We hid in the forests that surrounded the city, every step my scouts took was measured, and they were intent on staying undetected. We had begun to use guerilla warfare, hitting the city where it looked weak, and blending into the shadows before they could react. We were doing little to no real damage though.

As a strategist, I could see my mistake, all this subterfuge, all this deceit, it could have been avoided if I had utilized infiltrators; yet, I had none that could really blend in. My soldiers were all too large to be overlooked in a city. Compared to the average Sergal they were titans.

It had to come down to using another race. The question was which one? One race had already devoted their entirety to Rain Silves to save themselves. Encouraging them to revolt would be risky, and perhaps a fruitless endeavor. Rain could be… persuasive. The tales of genocides she has committed are legion.

Then perhaps the Ugudner, I immediately dismissed them. What is left of their race is secluded in the province of Gold Ring. They may help us produce even more technology, but gaining the trust of a single family was time consuming. I kept them in my mind though; I would recruit as many of the families as I could when I had the recourses to spare.

That left the Nevreans. I was hoping to avoid them; they were undisciplined and fickle creatures. Often their rulers fought over trivial pursuits like precious metals for jewelry, or out of paranoia. Worse yet their societies revolved around the needs and desires of only one gender, which by coincidence was also the larger of the two: the females.

I could honestly care less about gender… but what made me hesitate was that the females were notorious for subjugating their men to degrading acts. Usually consisting of beatings, rapes, and other abusive behaviors.

Inter-species relationships would have to be accounted for as well, Nevreans females were more incline towards sexual activity, especially with strong, fit males… regardless of race. I would have to account for a lack of infant breeding with the more exotic tastes of the soldiers under my command; that is, If they choose to forsake other sexual partners. Unlikely considering their anatomies' advanced make-up. If either gender of Sergal did not breed quickly enough the overwhelming amount of testosterone in their systems would lead to blind rages and overly belligerent behaviors.

Peering into this strain of thought I had the epiphany that their bodies were proving to be as much an advantage as an issue. If things continued this way, I estimated that the planet would be over-populated with Sergals and other species in less than four centuries. But I suppose at that point it won't matter, we would be reclaiming our empire among the stars by then.

Changing my thoughts I wondered at just how much time had passed since our last engagement… looking at the clock in my visor I saw that it had been six hours, and the suns were beginning to rise on the horizon. Things had been quiet, giving me time to ponder the future, both far and close. Like how I would execute my plans, and how I was going to kill Rain. There were so many possibilities, knives, guns, chains, whips… and then there was how I would do it. Would it be slowly and painfully? Or would I make it quick and absolute?

I told myself that it didn't matter, the future would come, and when it did I would know what to do.

That was when strains of thought I had not anticipated crept into my mind. My two sons, and the time I had spent with them. I still remember their laughs, their happiness at having a father. Why did I feel like I needed to raise them? … Why did I care about them? While I could not formulate an answer, I definitely knew that deep down; I did care about both of them. I wanted to make them the best they could be, and prepare them for the cruelties that life will force them to feel, even though they had both been through so much already. I often fantasize about what they would become, I saw them leading armies, they were heroes, and respected by their peers as well as their enemies. I imagined them out shining me, my legacy pale next to theirs.

Even though they had accomplished so little… I was already very proud of them. Even now I knew they were being trained to be the best worriers possible. The Overseers had assured me they were prodigies even among the children. But I wanted to be with them, I wanted to be their teacher…

I looked forward to seeing them again. But until then, I had a city to conquer. Peering through the zoom function of the lenses in my helmet I could see the changes made to the city. The shields were still active, and blimps began to patrol the skies, search lights lit the areas the blimps were not, but the mortars had gone silent. They were preserving ammunition… or so I theorized.

They had let their guard slack, and I would make that their un-doing. I had amassed my forces through the night. We had prepared, and now come the rising of the suns. We will strike. Sayabato and Zykote had done well. We had siege engines, air craft, tanks, and a legion of infantry less than a mile away, ready to charge. Now it was up to me and my scouts to get them into position.

I had been coordinating airstrikes with feedback from the scouts. The machine-pilots were effective, but they lacked the insight of an organic counterpart. I was going to need organic-pilots as well. At inconsistent intervals we would strike at the cities' infrastructure, navigating their concentration up at the sky, while my soldiers slowly made their way closer to the fortress. After a few hours I had received a written message from my scout leaders.

They read: 'Lord Tepest, we are in position." I ordered the snipers to cease fire, and for the airstrikes to stop. The second sun had just begun to rise over the horizon. It was time that this type of warfare ended. The scouts had grown restless, and I too wanted to kill something with my blades, but it was too early. And so we partook in the worst part of warfare; the waiting.

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The iron discipline of my army was strong, in those hours we stayed still, watching the city. The clouds overhead had parted, and so I decided it was time. I dropped from the tree branch I had been sitting in for the last day, and made my way to the front line. A sniper was waiting in the foliage, away from the eyes of the enemy. She looked up at me. "It must be time to liberate another city." She said with passion. She was ready to kill someone; her heart beat said it all. My helmet retracted from my face, and I grinned.

"It is. Are you ready to taste the blood of a lesser race?" I asked her. She was one of the young Sergals who had been liberated with the siege of Yoshoi.

"This city will be cleansed in the blood of all who would deny us our destiny." She replied.

"Yes it will. And you will take your place as one of the first who ascended to your birthright. You will be a pillar in the Empire of the Reono. Never to be forgotten. You'll kill many in this battle, I know it." I said to her, I could not see her face, but I knew that she was excited. I put my hand on another surface, and it made a clumping sound.

"Don't miss." I said.

"I won't, my Lord." Was the reply. My helmet closed around my head, and I mentally prepared myself.

Like the last time I had killed, I felt as if my reality was changing; things seemed to turn hints of red, and the need to kill became an all consuming desire. Every instinct, every feeling, every lustful desire circled around the sensation of taking another creature's life. This is what Villous, my great ancestor, had intended for us to be. Masters of Science and art when at peace, harbingers of war the next. But this sensation, this lust, it took you and made everything else pale. Villous knew that no matter how far we evolved, we would always be the subjects to our most base instincts; to want to survive, to reproduce without second thought, and to kill for the sake of proving dominance; as was the way of nature. And so by primal accord, I and all who followed me had embraced who and what we were on the primal level. Making us superior, making us the true Reono, the true Sergals.

**"Prime you weapons."** I said as my voice went down in octaves. I popped a few joints in my knuckles and my neck. I looked out to the walls of the city; it was at least a thousand meters away, the only thing between me and it was an open field of sand and grass. I felt the wind brush against my armor through my implants.

I had never felt so alive before in my life. Everything I had worked for to this point had come down to this moment. Yoshoi was a warm up. This… this was real. There were risks; there was an actual chance I could die.

But I would not. I had survived Rain Silves, and I would survive this, and like everything else I had done in my new life, I would be the victor.

With the anger of a vengeful wraith I sprinted out of the cover of the forest, my every intent to reach the walls of the cities. And I knew deep down that nothing could stop me. I fired a plasma round from my wrist, and watched through the scopes built into my lenses as it impacted against a guard. He dissolved. Already they ran the length of the wall, and aimed their weapons at me.

As I sprinted, I fired my wrist weapons at the enemy. They all brought their own weapons to bear on me, firing wildly. I felt bullets and lasers ring against my shields. But they held.

I still had seven hundred meters.

Their massed attack angered me. _They dared to fire at me? Their lives were already forfeited. I will to kill them just to prove I can. _I thought to myself and my bloodlust would drive me to it. The shields around the city shot outwards. Disappearing and I heard a whistling overhead, and all around me explosions appeared. They were trying to kill me with mortar fire.

Pathetic, it only convinced me to run harder. Craters appeared as explosions rocked the earth. I lost my balance for a moment but recovered quickly. A second instinct told me to jump and all around me a plume of dirt smothered me as pain I had never known scorched my armor.

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The dust and debris clouded my vision. And I lost sight of Kayne through my scope. I feared the worst.

"Syra, do you see him!?" I asked over a link. I had donned my helmet, and was waiting for the word to begin to move… but if Kayne was…

"I'm sorry Meugen. But I don't know how anyone could survive that." She replied, and she truly seemed remorseful.

"No this… this can't be it." I said. That is when the dust began to clear…

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I climbed out of the crater, my armor buzzing as the gyros started to malfunction. My lenses were cracked and broken, so I ripped it from my head. It exposed my eyes, and my long mane to the elements. I tore my chest armor off, and my shoulder armor to my biceps went with it, leaving only the armor over my wrists and lower body. It was the first time I had been without my armor since I had left the vault.

My fur and my feathers were exposed to the elements, only fragments of the upper half of my armor remained. Blood coated my body, and I could feel the feathers given to me through my transformation blow in the wind. My blood had already dried. The sensation of pain made me feel more alive, and I roared at the top of my lungs in anger, ecstasy, lust… and freedom.

"**MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR GODS, FOR YOU WILL MEET THEM VERY SOON!"** I yelled at them. It didn't matter if they heard me or not… I knew what I was going to do. I ran at the city again, and they continued to fire. All around me solid rounds, plasma, and explosives flew by, but nothing seemed to hit me.

Three hundred meters...

The shots became more concentrated; I felt a bullet pierce my shoulder. It didn't hurt; in fact I hardly even felt it.

Less than ten meters.

That's when I slid into the ground. **"All batteries fire! Bring these walls down!"**The tanks that were just beyond the range of the mortars fired beams of anti-matter. They looked like blue and red beams sent from vengeful gods. The walls of the cities imploded, and the bodies of guards flew everywhere. Dust was everywhere.

I leaped over the debris of the wall, and roared again. It was the sound of a beast, I handled the hilt of a weapon from my belt, it extended in size, and a blade appeared on one end; my spear. I raised it to the sky, and thousands of soldiers jumped up from the ground all around the city. With the walls gone, there was nothing to stop them from their slaughter. They charged into the city, already too close for the mortars to hit them.

They drew their blades, spears, knives, and guns. The dirt gently rolled off of them as they charged. Those with inertia drives leaped into the city, firing wildly at anything that moved. Tanks rolled from the forest and crossed the field. Their cannons firing into the mortars, explosions were everywhere as the city fought back. The tanks shrugged off their assaults like one would kill an insect.

They fired lasers and beams of pure energy in response, leaving nothing but cinders in their wake. They rolled over the walls like it was nothing. I surveyed the scenes of carnage before me.

That was the point of all this subterfuge. My soldiers had spent the night crawling on their bellies to get as close to the city as possible. I had put myself in this reckless position to get them to lower the shields. I was the bait. It had worked perfectly.

They all yelled their murderous cries with me; it was a chorus of retribution that heralded the death of an age, and the birth of another. Together we charged into the city; we, the True Reono ready to reclaim what was rightfully ours.

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The ship rattled as turbulence intercepted its path. Its subtle humming was almost relaxing, so I leaned my head back against the rest, and closed my eyes.

My sister in arms elbowed me in the chest. "What are you doing?" She said. It hurt a little bit, even with all this metal covering my body, but I wouldn't let her know that.

"Getting some shut eye. The best cure for the anxiety before a battle." I replied a bit snidely. I tried to close my eyes again, but the very second I did, she smacked the side of my face. "You're really starting to annoy me Kitsune." I said. She smiled innocently.

"It's working then. You should be getting excited, not dulling your senses. I won't have you dying on your first real operation, Gene." Her tone became serious. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"You seem to have forgotten that Kayne chose me to accompany him in his search for all the vaults of Tai-Jopon. I have already seen war." I replied with pride. She shook her head.

"Please, I asked Crytus all about your little adventure, and he said all you really encountered were some Talyxian Stalkers, and a few feral Ugudner. That's not battle, Gene. That's a skirmish. Come down off your pedestal and join the rest of us." She said. And as much as I didn't want to admit it, I knew she was right.

"I still got to accompany Lord Kayne Tepest…" I said trying to regain some pride.

"That you did. But remember who got you where you are now…" She replied, now it was her turn to be snide. She was the reason I was a member of Crytus's special tasks group. We liked to call ourselves the 'Falling Angels".

I smiled, "And I will always be grateful to you for that…" After that we were silent. The other soldiers in the compartment with me all had their helmets removed. They seemed nervous, just like me. They had to be around my age, some were a bit older though. Across from me, a younger Sergal with a course tan fur and brown designs was staring at the ground. "Hey!" I said to get his attention, he, and many other worriers looked at me.

"First time before a battle?" I asked him with a smile. He frowned and nodded his head. "Just stay close to your squad, remember your training, and you'll do fine. Remember; it's you that they should be afraid of, not the other way around." This made him smile and a few of the other Sergals listening in nodded in agreement.

"What's that in your hands?" I asked him.

"It's my mother's necklace. She gave it to me for luck." He replied.

"Put it on."

He hesitated for a moment, and then slowly put the necklace over his head, its sterling silver chain glinting in the artificial light. He tightened it around his neck. I noticed it was engraved with a royal symbol.

"You're nobility?" I asked him kindly. He seemed to shrink in size, scared that someone would try to kill him. I heard growls from other soldiers, including Kitsune.

"My… family has money. I was the heir to one of the cities that submitted to Kayne's ultimatum. It was the best decision I made for my people. He put my mother in charge since she was already the highest _Mizira_ of the city."

He raised his head and looked around the room. "And I am a soldier, just like the rest of you!" He said.

"Good to know you want to be one of us…" I said.

"I got a lot of respect for the families that accepted Kayne's ultimatum; they were smart enough to make the right decision…" Someone said nearby. I nodded in agreement.

"Looking forward to fighting by your side…" I said and held out my hand. "My name's Gene."

"Theren." He said and we interlocked wrists. It was how we symbolized trust.

"If the two of you are done grooming one another…" Kitsune cut in. I heard people laugh.

"Is someone jealous?" I asked her teasingly. She punched my shoulder.

"Nah, just like to keep you to myself." She replied.

"I hope not…" Another female chided in. I laughed and our banter lightened the mood. Everyone spent time introducing themselves to one another, we traded names, stories, told them what it was like growing up in our cities, and so on. I started to feel a bond with all of them, like I really was part of a team.

"…Just so you're all aware, it's going to be me that kills the first false Reono." Galion said. Gallion was tall, even with his genetic manipulations. His fur was a hard red, while his feathers were matt black. The area of fur under his neck was amber-blond. He held himself proudly, and with arrogance. But he was friendly and even charismatic. But he spoke too much.

"You can get in line behind me." Kitsune taunted. He laughed.

"We'll see." He replied.

A moment later a hatch leading to another part of the ship opened, and our leader, Crytus, stepped through.

He was intimidating even without full armor. But being completely covered made him look like crossing him would be the last mistake you would ever make. And fighting by his side had proved that assumption true. Not to mention the rumors of the brutal murders he had committed.

A dark crimson cloak covered his heavy armor, his red and white fur and feathers were all covered in steel, unlike the rest of us, he wore a back pack that carried foldable wings, and two weapons. His boots and wrists had additional armor attached as well, momentum drives and secondary shield/ weapon enhancements. He carried his helmet under his left armpit. All kinds of weapons clung to his legs and waist.

We all rose as one and slammed our right fists over our chests; our salute to our superior. Crytus walked the length of the hallway, looking us over and inspecting our armor. He face was expressionless, making his thoughts uninterruptable. As he passed me he nodded. When he had reached the end of the passage, he turned and faced us.

"Suite up." He said. Armor compartments opened up, revealing to us armor enhancements just like the ones he wore. While we assembled our armor, he spoke to us.

"Our objective is to capture the ruler of this city. We are permitted to use any methods necessary; all other objectives are irrelevant to us, including civilian casualties. If you believe they may pose a risk to your well being, kill them. Terrain is urban, hostile; expect roadblocks and heavy resistance from every building. Any questions?"

I flexed the micro-fibers in my armor that made up my artificial muscles. The wings on my back reacted to my nerves as if they were a part of my very being. I hardened my robes into wings, and loosened them up. Kitsune spoke up as I placed my helmet over my head.

"When do we drop?" She said.

"Sixty seconds." The hatches in both the middle and the back of the ship opened up, exposing us to the harsh wind of the upper atmosphere. I looked outside, and in the air behind us were explosions. I saw a blimp pass by. It exploded in a ball of fire.

"Line up!" Crytus said as he walked towards the end of the hatch. We all stood either behind him, or over one of the holes in the deck. I felt the ship shake as something hit us. The glowing eyes of machines became active.

"The Overseers will accompany us on this mission! Listen to their words and respect their orders! They know a lot more than you and will keep you alive." Crytus said. The voice of a machine took his place.

"Thirty seconds until drop." It said. I bounced on my ankles; I was anxious. My helmet's systems came on line as my suite fully synched to my body, sound from outside my suite virtually disappeared.

"Fifteen seconds until drop." I looked out past Crytus; we were now right above the city walls. I could see thousands of soldiers and machines crossing the now destroyed walls of the cities; explosions were everywhere. I hoped that no one I knew was dead.

"Five seconds…" The machine counted down to one, I concentrated hard on the battle at hand, pushing away all weakness and trivial thoughts. My sight turned red.

"Execute."

"Let's go!" Crytus yelled in our ears. He leaped first; Kitsune and Gallion were the first to fallow. I didn't hesitate; I sprinted and leaped over the edge of the hatch, and let the gravity pull me down. All around me were my comrades. Some were machines, others were organics. At that point I realized it didn't matter, if we wanted to get out of this alive, we had to rely on each other.

Something blew up a short distance from me, I saw a fellow Reono spin as he lost control… he was likely dead in his armor. I did feel afraid for mere seconds, but that fear was replaced with aggression. I wanted to avenge him. I showed my teeth behind my helmet, and dived head first, my velocity increased until I passed Kitsune, and then even Crytus. I read on my helmets lenses that my speed had passed acceptable levels.

"Gene, un-harden your cloak and decrease speed." A machine said.

"No…" I activated the boosters on my boots and began to fall even faster. I flew far ahead of all the others.

"Gene! What are you doing!?" I heard people scream in panic demanding that I pull up. But I ignored them.

Using purely my instincts I flipped in the air, my feet facing the ground, that's when I activated all my boosters, un-hardened my cloak, and braced for a hard landing. I felt every bit of momentum as I hit the ground.

It knocked the air out of me, and I felt as if my bones had cracked. My feet hit first, and I slammed my momentum into my right hand, all around me a cloud of dust had formed. My vision switched over to thermal, and I drew a pistol in one hand, a whip in the other.

I spotted a target and shot it in the chest, it span in the air and hit the ground. I leaped into the air; screaming bloody murder as I fired with one hand and flung my whip with the other.

Things seemed to slow down… all around me the enemy moves slowly… but so did I. A crazed Sergal tackled me. I couldn't see any sentience in his eyes. He just seemed obsessed with killing me. And he or she had the strength to do it. I felt my muscle weaves struggle to remain intact.

I drove my knee into the Sergal's groin, and drove it off. It ran on all four like a beast, he turned and faced me, and roared. An abyss of fire shot out wards as spittle the color of yellow flew everywhere. Burning the ground it touched.

"Abomination." I whispered and shot it through the head. It hit the ground and stopped moving. I holstered my tools and drew my spear, ready to kill whatever came next.

"First blood goes to me." I said. But I had not seen the monster twitch…

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I could feel blood secret from my body as another bullet pierced my skin. And again the wound healed seconds later. The tissue and implants pushing the shrapnel out of the cut. I laughed at their meager attempts to kill me. Their pathetic excuse for technology too inferior to cause any real harm.

"**If you lay your weapons down now I may just kill you with speed!" **I yelled at them. As I spoke some of my foes hesitated, the fear in their fragile forms emanating from their sweat glands. With speed that nature could never intend I grabbed one small Sergal by his head, and smashed it between by palms. As the blood splashed all over me I began to laugh. His now headless form hit the ground as I drew my spear. **"COME ON!"**

A solid beam of plasma fired out from my weapon, incinerating another false Reono before it could react. They began to flee, reality changed again as I felt an inexplicable urge to chase them down… But some logical part of my mind forced me to hesitate. Something didn't seem right.

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Besides the sound of gunshots and explosions not that far away, things were eerily silent. I could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. One of my fellow worriers impacted into the ground, leaving a large crater where she landed. Not even seconds later another crater formed, then another, then another.

"Gene, what were you thinking!?" Kitsune said. Her armored hands were clenched in anger.

"I was thinking about clearing the landing zone." I said calmly.

"By throwing your life away!?" She replied. Crytus's rough voice interrupted any retort I could have made.

"Fall in line, Kitsune. Break up into your pre-assigned teams and proceed to objective A." He said. Kitsune and I were both on team A, which was both an advantage and a curse; she felt that she needed to protect me from some reason, and in turn, I wanted to protect her. A machine approached us. Its amber eyes reflected no hint of emotion, or remorse.

"An impressive feat for an un-experienced organic." It said. A name appeared attached to a line in my lenses, in a round cornered box the name 'Touros' appeared. "I will have to re-calculate the capabilities of the average soldier because this."

"What are you? Some kind of lurker?" Kitsune asked the machine. It turned to her and replied without a hint of emotion.

"I am a sub-program attached to the Overseer Touros. This unit has been outfitted for intense combat scenarios and extermination procedures. I am also responsible for monitoring your progress and protecting the teams I am assigned to." Touros replied. Like the rest of us he was taller than the average Reono Sergal, and wore a suit of armor. But where ours covered our bodies completely, his seemed more like attachments to his robotic form. His synthetic fur and feathers were grey like the city.

The twelve of us formed up and brought rifles and blades out, Kitsune was our 'leader', or more accurately she was the alpha of our team. We had to follow her orders, but the machines could contradict her at any time, and when they spoke, we had to listen.

"How many units have been attached to our group?" I asked Touros.

"Three. Each under the same Overseer. To ask one of us is to ask all of us." It said. The machine moved his head back and forth. "Enemies in proximity." It said.

"Ready yourselves." Kitsune said. I readied my spear as the sounds of screaming became louder and louder.

"What is that?" One of my teammates asked.

"Where about to find out. Move to cover, open fire on the first thing that moves." Kitsune ordered us. Smoke was everywhere, making it hard to see.

I scream as something pierced my chest. My shields fizzing in and out as something moved through them. I dropped my spear in pain. Something metallic hissed in my ear. I grabbed the blade impaled in my chest, trying to pull it out, but the pain was too much, my sight began to blacken.

"Gene!" Kitsune scream. I felt the heat of a laser pass by my head and the pressure gave way. I hit the ground; my hands on the blade had cut through one of my hearts. I was hyperventilating.

One of Touros's units approached me, one of its armed was held a collection of built-in weapons, a small one on his wrist smoked. "Create a perimeter while I perform trauma relief to the subject." It said. But as we looked around we saw more of the corpses I thought I had killed start to get up. Metallic coils crawled from the skin of the dead and dug their way into body parts.

In response my team began to shoot their vast array of weapons at the corpses. But there were many. The cables brought the corpses back together and they began to stand; their fingers replaced with claws twice as long as their hands. The holes in their bodies covered in metal that hardened in seconds. Their screams were like that of a thousand metal shards scraping up against one another, in their mouths were maws of rotating swords and a fiery abyss. They charged us as one.

"Weapons free!" Kitsune yelled. Those with pulse rifles hid in the rubble. Their aim true as the corpses re-formed. I saw Gallion lifted off the ground as coils surrounded him. He scream in pain as the armor was torn from his body.

Theren cut the wires with his sword. And Galion's body slammed into the ground. Blood was everywhere. Theren got over him, and protected him with his blade. The mechanized corpses rushed him.

He swung his sword like a master. Holding it with two hands and spinning it over his body. A shoulder mounted projectile weapon fired at targets that he saw as threats. He cut the bodies into tiny pieces, black blood and body parts everywhere. But still they reformed.

Two of my teammates were pulled into the smoke; their screams of agony were all we needed to know they were being ripped apart.

"Fall in!" Kitsune ordered us. The Overseers fired volleys from their own weapons. Beams of energy and showers of torpedoes and explosives bombarded the enemy. They put themselves in harm's way in order to protect the young soldiers.

The two machines fired their own cannons with my team as the third unit went to work on my body. "Lie still. This will hurt." It said. I doubted it could have hurt any more than what I went through to get this body in the first place… I was wrong. Touros slowly removed the sword from my body and laid me on my stomach. He place a device inside my wound and I could feel it crawl around in my heart as it shocked and moved tissues. "You are lucky you have two additional hearts. You should be dead." It said to me. I felt the apparatus leave my body, a deep cold, numbing sensation remained. My enhancements shot adrenaline in me and I was up.

"What was that?" I asked as I pushed the pain away, replacing it with anger. Torous did not respond. Instead he threw the blade to the side and went to inspect the corpse of the now dead Sergal.

"Hold this perimeter; I need time to evaluate our enemy." Touros said. The teamed formed around us, the sound of gunshots and screaming came from all over. Theren picked up Gallion by his torso and put him down in the middle. His blood had crystallized but he no longer seemed to be breathing.

"Your assistance is needed. Your team will cover our investigation." Touros said as another unit called out orders. I nodded, still not sure as to what was happening.

I got on one knee to get closer to the corpse. A coil swung by my head, but a team member stabbed the creature in the chest and threw it out of the circle. I concentrated on the Overseer's instructions.

Touros told me to cut off the limbs of the Sergal first, and then we opened him up. We began to remove organs, starting with the intestines, then the stomach, and so on.

"What exactly are we looking for?" I asked it. His semi masculine voice responded with hints of hesitation.

"I have a theory as to what these creatures are… But I hope for our sake I am wrong." It said. It cut open the chest cavity and paused. It reached into area where you would find the lungs and pulled out a dark orb. Its yellow eyes were wide with surprise.

Once the orb was removed, the corpse, and all of its removed appendages, dissolved into ash.

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I back handed another enemy. My soldiers had amassed by my sides and we destroyed all who stood before us. Weapons many of them had only dreamed of were now giving us the upper hand as shots smothered our foes.

**"Bring me the head of the master of Mai-Zekade!" **I yelled. My soldiers responded with yells of their own in confirmation. Together we killed everything we came across. But they just kept coming. We were an island in a raging sea of Sergals. I slashed and thrust my spear, corpses spewed black blood as I lifted their forms off the ground. The closest came to life and shocked my wrist.

**"Die!"** I said and shot it with a wrist gun. I swung my spear and its corpse flew somewhere far away.

"Lord Tepest, we are surrounded!" A soldier wielding swords said to me.

**"We will strike down all who dare to defy us! Stand firm, and prepare!" **I said. We formed a large circle, those with spears or swords stood on the outside, those with long range weapons on their knees, or farther behind. I drew a pistol, and held my spear with one hand. We did not cease our attacks.

An enemy leaped over the circle and landed on me, it grabbed the feathers on my chest with grip greater than even a machine. I grabbed the back of its head intent on ripping it off of me. I saw it had no eyes; instead there were metallic tentacles that tried to grab my head. It scream in anger I had never seen before.

"_J1IN TH0 FE111ST!" _It said to me in corrupted binary. I spat at it.

I plunged my other hand into its chest and ripped out an orb. Its body turned into dust seconds later. I growled and my eyes turned blood red.

**"ZESS!"**


	5. Chapter 4

13

Chapter 4

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The machines spat sparks and molten metal spewed forth as systems went haywire. The sound of blaring alarms signaled the intrusion of the abdominal intelligence. Not too far away the prisoners that were teleported here days ago scream in their cages, trying to escape their fate.

The Zess had been pretending to be Sergals, hiding with the prisoners in their cages. They had ripped the Sergals apart, infecting the limbs with more of the abdominal virus. Creatures made from body parts spewed black blood as metallic coils, very similar to tentacles split their skin. The sounds they made caused Zykote's programming to glitch and malfunction. It was virus binary, much of it Zykote could not comprehend, but he could understand trace words such as 'spread' and 'feast'.

He commanded mobile units to initiate a response while encrypting vital systems, but already the Zess had infected major areas of the memory core… including the archives where everything was held. In an attempt to stop them, he forced the system to self-destruct. The children in the vault were fighting alongside their instructors.

As for the prisoners that were now Zess…Their cages were sprayed down with acid. The Zess scream as they dissolved.

Zykote's systems informed him of a hacking attempt; a Zess had grabbed one of his 'petals' and a coil was burrowing into his memory core. He spun his flower-like body as quickly as he could to throw the Zess off of him, he then fired a wave of energy in every direction, forcing more Zess back.

The Overseers had been overwhelmed; the Zess were possessing combat units and forcing them to fight one another. All the while the automatons were fighting multiple hacking attempts. Every .5 seconds Zykote had to re-calibrate his fire walls to keep up with the onslaught.

He fired a beam of red-hot energy at a Zess with four arms and two heads, aiming at the chest in order to incinerate the orb inside of it. The ash was still red hot as it touched the ground. A Sergal slammed its hand on the bars around it, trying to get his attention.

"You have to let us out!" One of the prisoners scream, I opened a screen before her eyes and spoke to her.

"That is not an option. I have to assume you are infected, or an accomplice. Remain calm; I will deal with you shortly." Zykote said the Reono female. She growled in response.

"That's a clever way of saying you're going to kill us machine!" She yelled back. There was no panic in her tone, instead there was fury. Another Sergal, this one a male, came into view of the screen.

"You serve Kayne Tepest, right!?" He said. Zykote was curious as to how they know of his master. He incinerated another Zess, but the limbs remained intact. The body parts crawled over to a dismembered torso, metallic coils ripping through the flesh.

"…That is correct." The machine replied.

The Sergal's heart rate climbed. "I can tell you who their alpha is!"

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I swung my spear and decapitated another Zess corpse. Black blood sprayed like a fountain, seconds later tentacles spewed out of the muscles in its neck, and it crawled around as it looked for more body parts. I cut the coils and thrust my spear threw its chest, ending its pathetic excuse for life. Two of my worriers guarded me; giving me a moment to finally think; I realized that the corrupted binary had started to give me a headache.

"**Vile Spawn!" **I yelled. I pushed myself between them and returned to the fray. For every corpse we cut apart, more took their place. We were an island of life in an ocean of death. I leveled my pistol at an orb inside of one of their chests. Firing round after round at it, finally it fell on the ground and dissolved into ash. So much dust covered the ground it felt as if we were walking in a desert.

Hundreds, if not thousands of Zess were murdered by us, but still more and more of the True Reono fell. Even for all of their enhancements, they were still fallible… at least they took many of the Zess with them. I put away my spear, and drew both my pistols, firing into the mobs of Zess with my worriers. Each of my rounds burned off a limb, or a head. Causing my enemy a moment's pause before I lined up a shot for their orb.

My fur was drenched in stinking, rotting black blood, my mane was drenched and my muscles were sore. But my adrenaline and aggression kept me going.

**"Crytus, do you know where the leader is!?"**

-+++++++++++++++++++++++++((((((((((((()))))))))))))+++++++++++++++-

A building made of stone tumbled to the ground as a ship flew overhead. I ran into the mountain of debris that was left behind, hiding from the Zess. A moment later I peeked my head out and aimed my weapon; a laser sight was on my visor; helping me aim through the dust.

"No… I've sent reinforcements to your position, my Lord. We'll find them. Or die trying." I said, leaving the link open for a response.

I fired a beam of energy and a loud noise followed by the sound of sizzling rock replied. All that was left of my target was a pile of ash.

"A clean shot, Crytus." One of the worriers under my command said.

"Hard to miss with such a large weapon." I replied, implying my massive arm mounted cannon. It required a wrist sleeve just to carry. It was cumbersome at times, but made up for it with its deadly efficiency.

"The Zess are overwhelming the primary force on all sides and our Lord has been pinned down. I regulated our reinforcements to his location; we are on our own from this point forward." I got back on my feet and started to descend the mountain of rubble. My team, a total of thirteen worriers, veterans all, walked behind me. I held my cannon with one hand, its barrel facing the sky.

"There is no such thing as an innocent Shigu, and there is no such thing as a tame Zess. They are scum, ALL OF THEM! And we will cleanse them from our land!" I yelled. My team nodded and growled in agreement. Never before in my life had I worked with such a diverse and deadly group of soldiers.

"There is killing to be done, and revenge to deal out. If the Zess choose to interfere, then we will remove them. Just like the false Reono…" I said. I still remembered Giru as he burned alive, his stomach ripped open by Kayne's knife. _A just fate for a pig._ I thought, my life was a giant circle of death. I had seen it more than others, started into its eyes, and spat in its face. There was nothing, and no one, that could show me the darker side of the world. I had already been there. This was just another part of life for me. And the Sergals who looked to me for leadership were of equal mind, we had lived as long as we had not only because we were the strongest, but because we had the will to do what others could not.

There were thirteen of us total; my brothers of Tai-Jopon, Hetreis, Jenema, Yuichizi, my comrades of Kaif-Schauss; Asakawa, Kiro-yuuzii, Sakoora, Berinia, Juri-narawa, and the soldiers of the provinces that had a truce with Kayne before the start of our conquest; Kira-Irius, Taki-zawa, Tamaya-oiu, and Daisuke. We are veterans all, some of the best worriers of the allied provinces.

"Daisuke, remove the debris." I said. The large Reono had dark purple fur under his armor, and a cybernetic right arm, with a prosthetic eye. He leveled his missile launcher at the building and brought it down with a single round. I heard him chuckle over the link, his voice half synthetic.

"Stay close, remain in the shadows, kill anything that moves." I hear a chiming in my ear as confirmation. Taki-zawa leaned down, hunched as she read a trail in the sand. "Any luck?"

She inhaled deeply, the dust in her hand falling though her fingers as she rose to eye level. She was tall, and built like a runner. Her province had trained their young to chase down some of the fastest game of Villous. Even with her genetic therapy, her thin, lithe form was still visible with her armor on.

"The scent of Shigu and Reono… they ran through here hours ago. Guarding a small body. Look at the tracks, these prints are smaller. The leader is a girl." She said to me.

I nodded. Glad that her skills were proving useful. "Draw you weapons. Lead the way." She drew a unique weapon based on the bow. It split down the middle into two weapons similar to daggers. She took off at a run, we chased after her. The scouts hiding in the ruined buildings as we passed by.

-+++++++++++++++++++++(((((((((())))))))))))))+++++++++++++++++++-

A sea of black blood and corpses.

That's what I saw. They stomped on one another to get to us. Syra was… calm. She made for a great leader. As for me, I was shaking. The screams of the Zess seemed to tear at my soul. My hands shook with fear.

Touros and I watched as the corpse turned to dust, the blade that had punctured my heart went with it. The unit stood up, his cannon charged as a battery was powered up. In binary the unit spoke to the others, displaying the data in flashes. _[Zess. Omega class. Exterminate and assume contagion in all indigenous life forms. Deny infection.] _"Grab your spear and prepare worrier." Touros said with authority. I nodded my head, glad for direction.

The machines displayed a wave of control over the squad. They helped guide us as to where to direct our fire, when to take cover. With their leadership we managed to repel the Zess. Then the buildings crumbled, and we were surrounded.

"Draw your spears! For you are the children of Villous! Let your wrath be your guard from this foe!" Tuoros yelled. My fear was beginning to devour me, there were too many Zess… how did Touros expect us to be able to fight them?

I looked to Kitsune. She had drawn two swords, shields made from her barriers pixilated over her wrists. She raised a foot in a fighting stance. I asked myself how anyone could be so calm, when more and more screaming, irrational monsters could be running at you?

The world seemed to slow then. I looked to my team, Theren, who had seen so little combat, but was already proving a seasoned swordsman, Gallion, who lay on the ground, unmoving. And then the machines, who in the face of impossible odds stood with logic, formulating a strategy for every outcome. They were all so… calm.

I could feel my hearts beating in my chest, the sound of myself breathing in my helmet… the sound of the tide of screaming Zess. I knew in that moment I had to put my fears aside. My team had already forfeited their own fears; they were leaning on each other, leaning on me, to have their backs…

They had given me cover when I was down, I wasn't going to let any of the others die. I took a deep breath, and lifted one of my feet off of the ground. I closed my eyes, taking in the screams, the voices in my head yelling to drop my spear and run. I silenced them. All that was left was the sound of my own hearts as they beat in my chest, the screams of my team as they prepared for another fight, I found… anger. Hate. Passion. I would join them. My eyes opened.

I used my inertia boots to leap ahead of them into the fight. Spinning my spear all over my body as I stabbed and thrust, slashed and slammed, fighting with speed and grace. Two Zess lunged at me; I swept one of them away with my spear, and kicked the other. Before it could rise, I stabbed the sharp end of my spear into its back. The black blood sprayed everywhere, dousing the ground and covering my armor.

The others were right there with me, Kitsune with her swords and shields, who had spent all of her time learning the lost techniques of the Agodona. Touros, who were blasting the Zess to ash with their tools of extermination, and Theren, who like me held a spear. The weapons on his wrists exposed as he fired them at distant enemies, his blade reserved for those who came too close.

Together we fought the unending tide. My slashes were as fast as lightening as I turned and leaped. I was never in one place for too long. I cut a Zess made of arms and a torso across the chest; its orb cut in half. I heard a scream behind me as more Zess attacked, and another worrier fell. Two this time, I leaped and stabbed its heart with my weapon. Tentacles spewed out of the other monster's broken jaw and wrapped around my neck. I wrapped them around my arm and cut them with my blade. Their grip loosened and fell to the ground.

Theren shot it in the back, using the plasma from the spear's blade like a beam. It dissolved, matter sizzling against my shields. I ran towards him, putting my back against his as we held our spears. The sharp, energy coated blades ready to drink more black blood. Our shields sizzling as the Zess cut them apart again and again. We stood over Gallion's body. I had never felt my hearts beat so hard in my life as even more came.

Kitsune was surrounded. Her spinning and reckless attacks were fatal to the enemy, but she did not have the energy to continue like she was. The units were giving everything they had, but they could not be everywhere at once. The Zess split us apart. Even together, I knew that Theren and I were living on a time limit. It was only a matter of minutes before one of us went down, and when we did, the Zess would devour us.

I consigned myself to my death. If I was to die here, I was going to die with honor. I would take as many Zess with me as I could. I vowed not to be the reason Theren died…

As the enemy circled and attacked I made my last vows. I thrust my spear into a Zess, killing it, but its comrades grabbed my weapon and flung far away. With my spear pulled from my grasp, I drew my blades from my wrists, and held my pistols. But I knew that with its loss, the Zess had us,

-++++++++++++++++(((((((((((((((())))))))))))))++++++++++++++-

"You are aware of the Zess hierarchy" Zykote asked.

"I was born in Gold Ring. The Ugundner taught me how to distinguish between the classes in order to spot alphas hiding their traits." He said. With the data banks shut off from any accessible source, Zykote concluded that he needed someone with training to identify the leaders. He needed this organic alive, all of a sudden the prisoner became very, very valuable.

"Escort that prisoner to a secure zone and protect him." He said to a group of units. The automitons began to open the cage. A unit motioned for him to follow. The same female from before got in the machines way.

"You want him? You have to take us all." Zykote did not have the time or reason to deny her, and so the prisoners were escorted between the drones. The Zess were lured away as areas in the vault were closed off and sealed. Acids were showered in the corridors to exterminate the infected subjects.

Zykote received a message saying that the children had been moved to a safe zone. Fortified by fifty centimeter thick adamantium. They were no longer a concern.

-+++++++++++++++++++(((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))++++++++++++++++-

Suddenly an explosion shook the ground. Body parts flew through the air as an arm hit my head. I was disgusted as I felt the coils latch on to me as they tried to tie around my throat. I ripped it off my head and squished the limb between my boot and the ground. The sound of the bones crunching was satisfying.

At least six True Reono Sergals flew over the debris, riding speeders that floated over the ground, cannons mounted on their fronts. The soldier closest to me revved her engine as she placed a foot on the ground, handling her mount as if it were a massive weapon. She squeezed down on the triggers and her weapons fired at the wave of Zess. Black blood and body parts flew everywhere as their bodies were torn apart; the sound like someone ripping apart wet paper. Moments later her squad appeared, firing in sweeps and strikes.

From the skies more worriers fell to where we hid; their cloaks hard like wings as they fell from over the buildings. The microfibers in their robes became soft and bellowed in the dust as they drew their rifles. Debris flew through the air as tanks tread to where we held out.

They stopped their advance and aimed their cannons at the enemy as their mounted plasma beams incinerated the Zess. Massive, globular pulses of pure red energy flew from the massive cannons as mortars were fired from the back of the tanks. Walkers with two to three legs sprayed down the area with incredible fire power and brutality. Burning the Zess away with blue, sticky fire and beams of electricity. Together we were able to turn the tide.

Another Reono, who seemed to have a blue aura grabbed Gallion's body and dragged him behind the tank. Theren and I switched to our rifles and fired as we moved behind the mobile cover. Their tri-barreled cannons firing. Zess body parts flew everywhere.

The ground shook with every sound from the tanks. I could feel my bones vibrate in my skin with every incredible '_thoom'_ from the tanks. Finally they stopped their advance. An even larger machine had appeared from the heavens.

It moves with the grace of a sea creature, and stood taller than the buildings of Mai-zekade. Its six legs touched the ground as a ball of white hot energy began to expand from the base of what seemed to be its mouth. The sound of cannons, fire, and even light seemed to bend to the large machines will. The tanks powered up a barrier.

"HEADS DOWN!" Touros yelled. I hid beside a tank and shut my eyes.

The massive machine let out a roar that would have both blinded and deafened me if I had not been warned. A powerful gust pulled at my robes as my world shacked. Even through the shutters over my visor, it was still impossibly bright.

It had lasted only seconds, but it felt like years. When I opened my eyes again the Zess were gone… and with them the battle field. A valley of glass was all that was left.

My hands shook as I moved my rifle to my shoulder. Aside from the sound of cannons in the distance, things were finally quiet. The blaring of virus code was gone, and the smoke finally cleared... As if there never were any Zess at all.

The speeders driver nodded her head, and was gone. Her band of rides tailing close behind. The top hatch on the tank opened. The driver looked down at Kitsune.

"Get on." He said and we complied. Joining up with the larger force as our fellow worriers hitched rides on the tanks and transports. They moved over the red hot valley of glass, the sound of it crunching beneath the treads of the larger, heavier tanks. I laid my head against the side of the turrets neck. I felt m muscles pulsing with adrenaline and exhaustion. For the first time since I leaped from the flying ship, I felt safe. It felt good to be with a larger group now. Kitsune leaned her head back, sitting on the tank as they started to move.

It gave me time to think; images of people who were alive only moments ago… being ripped apart by Zess flashed in my head. One of the overseers stood nearby. "I knew that there would be carnage, but I wasn't expecting… this." I said to no one in particular. This was not war as I dreamed of it. People were dying, friend and even family. Then there was the Zess…

"What… what are those things?" Theren asked.

"There called Zess. But I've never seen them that up-close before…" I told him.

"That can't be… there always so… tame."

"A tame class of Zess has never been recorded in the archives; in fact, that is a contradiction." Touros said. "It is a virus of Ugundner origin, created originally to destroy entire planets in the forgotten age. And some records claim… that they are the cause fall of the Ugunder Empire. But the exact details have been lost with the fall of some of the archives. It spreads through touch, and can remain dormant in the victim for decades before rapidly reproducing in the host, creating a parasite that kills the victim and changes the chemical composition of the cells. They were effective at first, until they started to evolve. They are no longer controllable… except by their alphas." Touros explained.

"Alphas?" Kitsune asked. She used her rifle to lift herself up. Her helmet retracted from her face as her mane flowed out from her neck piece. I could hear the joints in her neck pop as she stretched it. Another Sergal stood near the end of the tank; she surveyed the area with a long barreled weapon, searching for targets.

"Where the omega carries an orb where their hearts should be, the alpha have a medallion welded into their chest. We have never captured a live subject, but we know that an alpha can control every one of their mutations; including who they infect. All the Zess here are likely subjugated to the will of a single alpha. And whoever they are, they have an incredible amount of self control."

"I've met Zess before who didn't act this way. They are blacker in color and are more interested in maintaining a business." Theren interjected.

"That must be Gold Ring? The rules for that province apply to anywhere else. I have never had the privilege of traveling there. Before Kayne I was too busy trying to stay alive. It must be a different type."

"Would it be possible for you to hack one? Maybe make it easier to find the alpha." Theren said.

"While the Zess communicate through binary, it is not based around our coding system. It would be similar to you hearing a hundred different languages at the same time. A few words may get through to you, but in the end it drives you to insanity. Imagine loosing whatever will you have, as endless screaming voices take you. They are deadly to us in that respect."

The tanks crossed the valley, and we were closer to the highest tower in the city; a structure hundreds of meters high made from stone and brick. It was a work of art… built of the backs of a thousand slaves.

"That's why you have us; Roeno can't be hacked like machines. So we are as deadly to them as they are to you. Let's go, we have a leader to kill." Kitsune said and leaped off the tank. I sat up and followed her. I nodded to her in respect as the others ran to us. I gave a wave to the medic who was working on Gallion's body; he was alive, apparently. Perhaps I would see him again when this all ended…

Kitsune wrapped her main back into a series of tight knots, and her helmet reconstructed around her face and her neck. She looked to the tower, then to an ally way and took off at a run. We followed closely behind her.

-+++++++++++++++++++((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))++++++++++++++++-

There are always more Zess, for there are always more corpses to devour and posses. Zykote led the way as parts of the vault were opened, massive doors shifting and moving as technology never seen before shifts for the safest transitions. The sounds of screams and the tinkering of metallic coils were heard through the walls. Creeping and scratching like they were clawing to get in. A scream was heard through the walls, no one could tell if it was Zess, or a victim.

"There… everywhere." The female said. Zykote looked at the systems and recognized she was right. The Zess had moved all over, and were in the larger areas in between the walls. He sent a message to the Overseers to send in extermination drones. At this rate the whole vault might be lost already.

"They can't get to us Uriya. Not yet anyways. Where are you taking us?" The male said.

"The communications and oversight chamber. From there you can oversee the siege of Mai-Zekade and assist the soldiers on the ground on where the alpha is located." Zykote said.

They came into a massive chamber; at first it seemed hollow, just open doors and no way to access them. Floors appeared as Zykote moved forward. The sounds of binary and what seemed like rumbling machines flooded the room. Massive amber eyes opened and stared at them. The male trembled for a moment as they made the room rumble. As if they were breathing. The darkness made it impossible for the Sergals to make out any details. Zykote approached one of the glowing amber eyes, and spoke to it in binary for a few seconds. He turned back to the organics in the room, they were paralyzed with fear.

"You may proceed." Zykote said. The male spoke with a trembling voice.

"W-what are those?" He asked.

"The culmination of progress." Was all the artificial sentient replied. He continued floating on, and they stayed close to him. The massive orbs followed them as they passed by, never blinking.

They went through a massive hatch, and on the other side monitors and screens filled with orange binary were on the walls. In the middle a pedestal with floating data graphs showed information on the surrounding area. Overall the room was large, and the screens were made for creatures at least twice the size of the Reono. As Zykote entered, he activated seats that folded out of the ground, once again made for creatures far larger than they.

"The equipment is state of the art, but designed for higher evolved life forms. I have calibrated the system to fit your characteristics, but some physical properties are the same." The male sat down. He looked at the key board; all the keys were twice as large as their fingers. He reached for a wireless head set and put it over his head. It adjusted to fit snugly against his skull.

"What are you going to do with us?" The female named Uriya said.

"What purpose did you serve before you were enslaved?" Zykote asked. Uriya did not like how direct and uncaring he seemed.

"I was in charge of keeping Taikatie alive. Guardian cheiftess." She said with pride.

"Then you shall stay here and protect Taikatie. I will oversee this operation; give all information you can to Tepest. I am opening a link to him now…"

-++++++++++++++++++((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))++++++++++++++++++-

A beam of pure blue anti-matter flew by my head and completely incinerated a Zess with four arms. I turned around to see Sayabato with a legion of reinforcements. The tanks, walkers, speeders, and infantry surrounded us and pushed the Zess back.

**"Well done, my friend. Your timing could not have been better."** I said. He walked up to me, his emerald eyes radiating in the sun.

"The vault has been invaded. We have lost contact with Zykote and the Overseers. Some of the slaves were Zess in disguise." He said to me calmly. I grabbed him by his neck and lifted him from the ground.

**"And what of my sons!?" **I yelled at him. Even as I crushed his metallic neck he spoke to with logic, as if he expected this.

"Before I lost contact with the vault, I was told that they had been moved to n area where they are protected from the Zess."

I let go of him and turned back to the fight. **"The sooner I am done here, the sooner I can see if your words are true or not. Until then… the city in is our main concern."**

With reinforcements it was easy to turn the enemy. Soon enough we were on the move again. As my forces moved into the city we gained a reprieve from the onslaught of the Zess. Now instead of an island, we were a tide. The tanks had mowed down our enemies, and the source of the Zess plague had been cut off thanks to our air support. Buildings and smaller structures were bombed into rubble.

It wasn't any trouble for our vehicles though; they floated or drove over the terrain like it was nothing. The other soldiers who were with me were sprinting as we outpaced the tanks. Aside from the battles not too far away, things were calm. Suddenly a massive explosion threw debris everywhere; I brought my hand to my face to defend my head from any debris.

**"HOLD!" **I yelled. The soldiers around me paused as the tanks rolled to a stop. When I could finally see again a huge canyon had formed in front of us; we could no longer progress towards the center of the city.

Someone yelped. I looked around to see a soldier hanging on to the ledge with a single hand, in the other was his spear. I walked over to him and grabbed him by his shoulders, lifting him out. He sat down, breathing heavily. I turned back around facing the cliff, Irritated that we had been cut off from our mission. I heard a light ringing in my ear. I opened the link with a thought.

"**This is Kayne."** I said waiting for the reply. The link was silent for a moment before I heard someone breathing in the other end.

"…Kayne Tepest?" Was the reply, the voice was lighter; implying someone without gene therapy had somehow accessed the system.

**"That is correct. How did you access this channel and why are you contacting me?"** I brought a holographic screen up for me to see who this was. A Sergal with a headset too large for him appeared. He was looking at another monitor before he spotted me. He visibly jumped.

"I… that is, we….uh-"I rolled my eyes and opened a link to Zykote.

**"Are you aware that someone has hacked into our network?"** I said to him. He appeared on the same screen that the Sergal faced.

"That is incorrect. This Sergal, Taikaitie, has knowledge on the alpha Zess of the city. He can save us the time it might take to hunt them down." Zykote said. I started to pace the sides of the cliff.

**"…Them? There's more than one?"** I said. Taikatie came back into view.

"I can't confirm that, I only spoke with of one the alphas, but the way they worked… I can only theorize that there is actually a higher Zess class. For the sake of simplicity, I have named it the 'Omni' class." He said.

"**Do you know the location of the vault under this city?"** I asked him. His ears perked up at the mention of the underground structure.

"That's what their hiding? … I don't know what is in the… vault, but I know that only the leaders of the city and the Zess were ever allowed in it."

**"You're going to lead us to it."** I said. I started to wave the convoy away from the trench, there had to be a way around. A set of waypoints leading to the east appeared on a small map. Finally we were getting somewhere.

-++++++++++++++++++(((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))+++++++++++++++++++-

The team followed Taki-zawa closely. Occasionally she would stop to smell the air, check a foot print, or look for blood. Then she would take off again. Truly, not even a Talaxian Stalker could out-do her.

In the distance, we hear a massive explosion as dirt and debris fly hundreds of feet into the air. It began to form a massive circle, and I could see the explosions coming our way.

"Move farther into the city!" I yelled to my team. The ground shook as the explosions came closer. The tremors became so great that it became difficult for us to keep our balance. We leaped into the air and our wings expanded as we took to the sky.

The explosions rang behind us. The force from the massive shock wave caused a few members of my team to lose control; their vectors were fragmented as their own inertia drives threw them all over. I saw Asakawa slam into a large building. She gripped the pillars as her gauntlets cracked the stone. She was alive, and furious. We turned and faced the place we were mere seconds ago, still floating in the air.

In its place a canyon had been formed. I looked down into it and saw only blackness.

Projectiles stabbed into my side as my shields became distorted; something was shooting at me. We scattered. I landed on top of a building and armed myself, the glove of my cannon wrapped itself around my forearm, and I switched my vision over to thermal. Dozens of targets had appeared through my sight. The location of my teammates came into view. The sound of gunfire stopped as they hid themselves from our attacker's sight.

"Heteris, Barnia, recon." A chiming in my ear sounded, telling me that they heard my order. I looked through the scopes in my visor, zooming in on the target. It stood tall, not quite as tall as me, but not with the hunched posture of an omega Zess. I switched my visor from thermal to visual to better see the target.

Its armor was black and blue. With a helmet that did not cover its eyes. And it carried a projectile rifle. Looking closer I could see a mark on its chest identifying his clan.

"Crytus, looks like we finally found them." Heteris said with a growl. A laser from a sight glowed on the target's head.

"Let me kill him now…" Bernia said. The target seemed to be alone…

"Do it." I told her. A second later a loud _bang_ was heard as the target's head exploded in a mist of crimson paste. Gunfire sounded from everywhere as the enemy responded. An explosion rocked the building I was hiding on top of; its shook violently as it started to come down.

I leaped from the building, and latched my claws into the next; debris smacked my shield as I climbed. I heard a growl as someone ordered their team to fire at me. I looked up to see three targets with weapons aimed right at me. They fired down, but their rounds bounced harmlessly from my shields. I put my cannon away, and armed a wrist gun. The sounds of laser fire responded to their bullets.

They leaned out of sight, but still I took fire from many other angles. I turned to my left as rounds smashed into the building. I looked up, on one was three veterans, and on the other, was Taki-zawa. She leaped from hiding, doing a back flip as her inertia drives threw her foreword. Her bow in her hands as she armed an explosive bolt. It impacted into the ground, and an explosion caused the enemy to scatter.

She landed with grace, and split her bow into two short swords; beams of energy radiated and enveloped the swords. She charged her smaller targets as they fired at her. Bullets splashed against her shields and fell to the ground. She stood at least ten centimeters taller than her prey; she had never looked more like a huntress. With unnatural agility she cut through the first like he was water; his blood splashed everywhere and dowsed her. She leaped and tackled the next; his bayonet broke against her armor. She grabbed the weapon and bent the barrel with help from her muscle wreave.

The last threw a grenade; it shattered her shields, and cracked her armor. But she refused to relent; she charged the last target as it backed off, her blades in a ready position. She leaped into the air, and landed nearly on top of her prey, then slashed his body in an 'X' move. The Sergal fell into four neatly sliced parts. Already the nano-bytes in her armor were rebuilding the outer shell.

All the while I was climbing the building. Once I had reached the top, I re-armed my wrist mounted cannon.

"Finally, the Shigu have revealed themselves!"

-+++++++++++++++((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))+++++++++++++++++++-

Cunningham


End file.
